When it comes to dedication and commitment in the civil service, some people are extraordinarily gifted, and they stand tall in the performance of their duties. They are in different places and offices, and they work with all their minds and strength, not minding what comes out of it and what people may say, especially now that hard work seems not pay in society. Yes, one of the things that drives whatever they do is passion.
For quite some time, Lifestyle has observed the commitment and dedication of a traffic warden at the popular Konwea Junction in Asaba, the Delta State Capital. He is a 25-year-old Civil Servant in the Delta State Public Service whose name is Mr Miracle Nwandu and attached to the Ministry of Works about four years ago and posted to the Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA) to assist the Police and the State Road Safety Corps to control traffic in certain busy areas within and outside the State Capital and to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the major roads in the State.
Miracle was noticed and singled out as a special traffic man because of his unique style and dedication to duty to a point that some people go to watch how he dances while performing his duty at the popular Konwea Shopping Plaza Junction every day in an exceptional style that kept many people wondering what keeps him going and focused. As he dances, he controls the traffic perfectly in unison under the sun and rain. In fact, his dance steps control the vehicular movements in a manner never seen elsewhere except perhaps one in Lagos State.
The way Miracle does his job has baffled a lot of Deltans living in Asaba and has become the talk of the town. Sadly, no one has been able to emulate him and his traffic dance steps.
One day, Lifestyle stopped at the Konwea Plaza Junction and had a chat with the traffic man about his job. He said he was employed in the Delta State Civil Service four years ago as a Clerical Assistant and is a native of Ogboli Village in Ibusa, in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Discussing further, Miracle said he developed a passion for the job when he was posted there and that he did not complain, adding that he took it as a challenge to help ease the traffic in Asaba and also to assist the Policewoman already there and another lady who is also there.
He disclosed that the job is not easy, adding that he comes to work 6.30 in the morning from Monday through Saturday and works till 5 pm or sometimes 6 pm.
On his working relationship with people, Miracle said that traffic control is a very serious job and a challenging one because one faces all kinds of people on the road with different kinds of characters, both good and bad, sane and insane, trying to disobey the rules and regulations and even ready to fight or quarrel and shout at you as they do not want to obey the rules. He said that most of the traffic law breakers are the popular Keke riders who are always in a hurry and do not want to obey traffic rules and regulations.
He disclosed that apart from the Keke riders, the other set of people who are always there to frustrate you are women drivers. But he stated that he usually controls his temper and handles every situation calmly. He said, “As a man, I know how to handle every situation maturely.
Miracle has high aspirations in life, saying that if God helps him, he would like to further his education to upgrade his Certificate from WAEC to a degree level before thinking of marriage, so that he could meet up with certain things in life.
He pointed out that his parents encouraged him to pursue the traffic management job, adding that his father, Mr Onyedika and mother, Theresa, always pray for him and encourage him to be perfect in anything he does for humanity, and that one day, he will get his reward from God or man.
Speaking on Mr Miracle at Konwea Junction, a resident, Mr John Chijindu, described him as a hard-working young man who does not play with his job at all. He said that Miracle is a young man full of energy and focus, adding that even as he dances while doing his job, he knows what he is doing because he derives joy and happiness from dancing.
Mr Chijindu said that Miracle does his job with dedication and even stays till late for the love of his work, adding, “I do not know what gives him the extra energy and focus while on duty.’’
The man said that Miracle works with two women traffic wardens at the junction who are also doing their best, adding that people notice Miracle because of his unique way of controlling the traffic while dancing and that many people come out to watch him on duty with his dance steps. He suggested to the government to post more people at other bus stops and other busy points to ease traffic flow in the capital city.
Another respondent, Mr Ambrose Chukwuma, who sells electrical parts at the Konwea Plaza, also commended the way Miracle does his job and described him as a workaholic. He said, “Since we have been having traffic wardens in Konwea Junction, apart from the policewoman who has been there, Mr Miracle has been a wonderful man on the job he said, stressing that Miracle has solved the traffic puzzle that normally occurs at the Konwea Junction.
He added that traffic police need more of the likes of Miracle to solve gridlocks in Nigeria.
