Abdul Rahman Haruna aka Awudu
For over two decades or so, one young man
voluntarily controlled vehicular traffic on some nightmarish junctions and
U-turns in Accra.
He filled the vacuum created by the
absence of traffic cops on knotty spots in Accra’s road network.
Awudu, as he is popularly called by
motorists, passed on last Monday. He is a regular figure around the Awudume
Cemetery, at times when traffic logjams occurred at the U-turn on the stretch
towards the Abossey Okai Roundabout.
As a mobile traffic warden he moves from
place to place depending on the severity of the traffic logjams at such places.
He used to be regular at the Adabraka
Official town and Circle area but known to also sometimes direct traffic at
far-flung areas as Abeka.
Many are fascinated at how he manages to
acquire his traffic police-like uniforms and a cap to match regularly,
replacing these when they are worn out.
His affability and dexterity at directing
vehicles endeared him to many motorists who dropped money for his service. He
was able to pick such monies without much interruption to his work.
A few days before his death one of his
admirers videoed him at work and sent same online. The video spread quickly,
the feedback making Awudu happy, as evidenced from his response also online.
‘Some people told me that they saw my
video and were happy about it. Somebody even dropped me a GH¢10 note as he
congratulated me for doing a good job. I realized that it was Sakiru who
videoed me. I was later invited to Papaye’ he was captured as saying on video
in perfect Twi.
His name has been given as Abdul Rahman
Haruna; Awudu is the shortened form for any name preceded by Abdul among many
ethnic groups in the north.
Social media carried many tributes originating from his admirers.
By A.R. Gomda
