The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Expert frowns against usage of foreign contractors by govt

    Expert frowns against usage of foreign contractors by govt

    The immediate past Chairman, Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) Ibadan, Oyo State  chapter, Mr Olugbenga Ilori has condemned what he called the excessive usage of foreign contractors by government, which he claimed has caused degeneration to engineering profession.

    Ilori spoke while delivering a lecture entitled:” Engineering Development: The necessary tool in nation building” at the 20th Arokodare Memorial lecture in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    According to him, this step amounts to waste of government resources and retrogression of engineering development in the country.

    Ilori said:” Nigeria has no re?ason to look outward for consultants if we are to develop technologically. What magic will the Chinese perform on railway modernisation that Nigerian consultants cannot. Do?. It took the Chinese 40 years to study and develop three Gorges Dam which is now the largest dam in the world, supplying 10 per cent China’s electricity consumption. They did not call on German or Italians for help. The Nigerian, will rush to foreigners.

  • Lagos seals 40 illegal drugs stores

    •To combat menace of illegal drug store operators

    No fewer than 39 illegal drugs stores in Alapere, Magodo and Ikosi-Isheri environs – all at Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area and Kosofe Local Government, have been sealed by men and officials of the Lagos State Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adeshina broke the news at the weekend in Lagos.

    She explained that government’s resolve to streamline the activities of operators in the drug sector was borne out of its zeal to stop the inherent dangers associated with the peddling of fake, substandard and expired drugs by unauthorised and unregistered drug and pharmaceutical outlets.

    Said she: “In furtherance of the state government’s commitment to ridding the state of the menace of illegal drug store operators in the state, we cannot fold our arms and do nothing in respect of their excesses. That is why we will not relent in our drive to sanitise the drug distribution system in Lagos, hence the mandate of the Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods”.

    The Special Adviser wondered why the people still chose to stay on the wrong side of the law, adding that the provisions of the law as stipulated by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act of 1992 and the Registration of Pharmaceutical Premises Regulation Law of 2005 outlines the requirements for the registration and renewal of pharmaceutical premises, culpability and punishment for offenders.

    “The provision of the pharmaceutical laws stipulates that pharmaceutical premises cannot be located in motor parks and environment where commercial activities take place like market places, kiosks, road-side stores and containers and the law also frowns at pharmaceutical stores standing and growing very close together,”Adeshina noted.

    She listed the sealed drug stores as including Viewland Pharmaceutical Ltd at No 5,Palace Street, Ogudu; Goodhealth Supermarket at No 13, Agboyi road, Ogudu; E. Emodobi Patent Medicine store at No 15, Old Olowora Street, Isheri; Max Supermarket and Medicine store at No 23, Agboyi road, Ogudu; Sadus Pharmacy at No 51, Olowora road, Ogudu; Festina Pharmacy Ltd at No 2, Ogun River road, Isheri; Celens Pharmacy at Isheri Market Plaza and Spacon Healthcare at No 19, Ogudu road.

    Others are Tolex Pharmaceutical Ltd at No 44, Ikosi road, Ketu; Amexco Pharmacy at No 1, Ikosi road, Ketu; Igba Stores at No 11, Oluyombo Street, Ikosi; Mr Kelechi store at No 10 Odun  Street, Ikosi; Ademola Ologunagba at No 31,Oluwalogbon Street, Ikosi; Benkeson Pharmaceutical at No 16, Anibaba street, Ikosi; Danest stores at No 17, Jimoh Balogun street Ikosi; Patent Medicine store at No 6, Dairo street,Ikosi and two unnamed stores at Nos 73,Oluyombo and 35, Jimoh Balogun streets.

    Dr Adeshina noted that the affected shops were sealed for offences ranging from sales of drugs without licence from the regulatory authority; failure to relocate from a market area and adherence to the mandated distance between a patent medicine shop and market place as stipulated by the law; and sales of counterfeit and fake drugs amongst others.

    The Special Adviser advised anybody interested in selling medicine to liaise with the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Unit of the Ministry of Health, the legitimate authorizing body for Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors License (PPMVL), located on the ground floor of Block 8, Old Secretariat, in Ikeja, just as she urged those interested in importation, distribution and sales of drugs to get their premises licensed by the appropriate authority, the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN).

    The raid was conducted in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Federal Taskforce, National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmaceutical Inspectors Committee (PIC), and Officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force from the state command.

  • My husband is irresponsible, alleges athlete

    A 32-year-old athlete, Mrs Pauline Ukah, has sought the dissolution of her marriage of nine years to her husband, Ukah Charles, before the Customary Court, Alagbado, a Lagos suburb, over his alleged irresponsible attitude.

    She also accused her husband of forcefully taking away their only son under the pretext of taking him to his hometown.

    Mrs Ukah told the court: “Four days after our wedding, my husband started attacking me physically. For the next five years, I endured the pain, thinking he would begin to treat me as his true love. Even when my husband got a job, he still didn’t make any meaningful contribution to our upkeep. I had to obtain a loan to complete our house. I have been solely responsible for the upkeep of our children. Most of the time, I would go on commercial motorbike from Lagos Island where I work to Meiran. But rather than empathise with me, my husband would lock the door against me, thereby making me to enter the room through the window.

    “Sometime ago, when I was duped N5 million by some con men who wanted to help us obtain U.S visa, my husband labelled me a prostitute. On that day, they asked us to put all our money and jewelry inside a box and we complied. But that was the last we heard of them.”

    Mrs Ukah complianed that her husband was fond of charms. Till date, I don’t know why he buried his singlet in the house. When my husband was under some spiritual attacks and all he could see were reptiles, I stood by him. I took him to a hospital and footed the medical bills.”

    Ukah, however, said: “Almost everything she said is true. She has been a caring wife and mother. But there is no cordial relationship with my in-laws. Since I lost my job, life has been tough.

    “Contrary to her claim, I don’t beat her. We only have misunderstanding once in a while. Each time I intend to pick our children for holidays, her mother chases me with a cutlass.”

    “It is a taboo in my tribe for a woman who commits adultery to still sleep with her husband again. My wife once confessed to having slept with a man who wanted to help us obtain the U.S. visa.

    “It was at a family meeting that they ordered me to take our only son to our home town for cleansing and I did. If only my wife can cleanse herself, she can have our son back,” Ukah told the court.

    Obviously miffed, Mrs. Ukah reacted, saying: “My husband was given four days to take our son for cleansing in his home town. It is almost a month, but my husband has not brought him back. Now, I am agitated because the boy has always been in my custody. It’s been three years since we lived as a couple. I was told to cleanse myself if I was still interested in being his wife. Since my son has been cleansed, there shouldn’t be a problem. I have never fought him over any trivial issue. I always make my intentions known to him. God knows I am fed up; so, I want a divorce. He is free to see our three children whenever he wishes.”

    The court’s President, Mr .Olubode Sekoni, fixed a chamber interview for the couple and ordered them to bring four relations each.

    He adjourned the matter till today.

  • My wife’s attitude forces me to sleep inside vehicle, alleges man

    •Wife: you’re fetish

    When I asked my wife why she soaked all my clothes in water, she said she was sent to destroy me. Whenever she starts her trouble, I will leave the house to sleep in a vehicle.”

    Those were the words of 36-year-old auto mechanic, Jimoh Hassan, as he prayed the Customary Court in Alakuko, a Lagos suburb, to dissolve his marriage to his wife, Jibola, over her alleged troublesome attitude.

    According to him, It got to a point that I was putting on my brother’s clothes because my wife had burnt all my clothes. Even when I decide to sleep in the house, I am always scared because of her terrible attitude.

    “She never shows any remorse when she steals my money; instead, she would call my bluff. If our marriage is dissolved, I want our child in my custody.”

    However, the 34-year-old woman said: “The problem started when my husband began to have an affair with a woman in her house. I can’t fathom why he loves the woman because she has three children for three different men. He gives her N1000, while he gives me N500 daily. My husband stopped buying foodstuff from the day he started having sexual relationship with the woman.

    “He doesn’t believe in repairing damaged items in the house, but prefers to sell them. My husband stopped eating at home when I complained that the N500 he gave me during the last Ileya festival was too small. I have always endured it all. But I would say he tried to be smarter by bringing our case to the court before me.

    “My husband claimed to be broke, so he declined to give me N5000 to start another business. But it was a great shock to me when I learnt that he paid the woman’s daughter’s medical bill when she was hospitalised.”

    Jibola also accused her husband of being fetish, saying: “After I destroyed some fetish stuff that he kept in the house, a strange boil developed in my son’s body. The boil discharges some smelly pus; and when the pus splashes on any other part of the body, another boil will grow on the spot. As of now, it is still a mystery to me why my son is afflicted with that strange ailment. Now, both my husband and the woman have stopped sleeping in the house. But sometimes, the woman sneaks into the house in the morning.

    “But in spite of his attitude, I still love my husband very much.”

    The union, which was not contracted under the Native and Customary Law, is blessed with a child.

    The court President, Mr. Olubode Sekoni, ordered Hassan to be giving his wife N8000 monthly, since he claimed to be giving her N2000 weekly.

    He advised the parties not to invade each other’s privacy and adjourned the case till November 10.

  • ‘I regret marrying my husband’

    A 27-year-old clearing agent, Olateju Olalekan, has sought the dissolution of her two-year-old marriage to her husband, Olawale, before the Alakuko Customary Court in Lagos for reasons ranging from cruelty to dishonesty.

    She said: “I was in my mother’s shop when my husband prostrated and told my mother that he wanted to marry me. I was confused because I didn’t know him from Adam. After several pleas, I agreed because he appeared to be responsible. Besides,it is rare for a man to make his intentions known from the outset. My husband borrowed a huge sum of money from my parents to rent an apartment. But surprisingly, when I visited the house, I met a woman who told me she had just moved in. I was shocked because we had already put kitchen equipment in the house. I later got to know that my husband collected the money back from the landlord. I regret the day I married him.” She also told the court that her husband abandoned her when she went into labour for two weeks. She added:” My parents have been responsible for the upkeep of our child, who is almost two years old now. I only want him to refund my parents’ money.I have never felt like a married woman because I still live with my parents.”

    However, Olawale, 39, said:”Her account about our first meeting is true. Though I slept with her six times, I am not sure the child is mine because she was in another relationship when I met her. I don’t know her by the name ‘Olalekan’ because I was forced to marry her. It is true I collected the house rent back. But I didn’t refund it because I realised her parents were diabolical.”

    Olateju’s father, Mr. Akande Ogunseye, who was in court, said:”My son-in-law is a fraudster. We had to visit his family when he threatened my daughter to abort the pregnancy. On getting there, his father exclaimed: ‘This boy has done it again…’ So, I want him to refund my money.”

    The court President, Chief Awos Awosola,fixed a chamber discussion and adjourned the case till November 6.

  • Alexander lies on the floor most times

    •Parents of boy suffering from cerebral palsy seek financial assistance

    Parents of Master Alexander Denwosu, a three-year old boy suffering from cerebral palsy, a form of paralysis caused by injury to the brain, have appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance to help save the boy. His father, Prince Ikenna Denwosu, an unemployed graduate, said Alexander cannot hold his neck upright, unfold his palms, sit down, crawl or walk, and lies on the floor most of the time.

    “It was when he was four months old that we noticed that he was a bit dull and not playful as expected of a new born child,” Denwosu recalled. After visiting the Primary Healthcare Centre in Iju, near Agege, Lagos, the Denwosus were referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idiaraba, Lagos, where the boy’s ailment was diagnosed as cerebral palsy. “We were advised to keep coming for physiotherapy and that it would take some time to get him to start moving his muscles voluntarily and gradually learn to begin to do those things he cannot do like keep his head upright,” the boy’s father said.

    But, after six months of taking Alexander to LUTH weekly and there was no change in his condition, the family stopped going. Subsequently, Denwosu and his wife, Peculiar, who are from Osisioma-Ngwa, in Abia State, decided to relocate to Aba, the Abia State commercial nerve centre, to ease the burden of taking care of the boy.

    Denwosu went on: “At Aba, we continued the therapy at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital. This was when we began to feel the weight of the financial cost of the treatment. This was when they asked us to do a Magnetic Resonance Imagery (MRI) test on the boy, to determine if there is any damage to the brain. As we speak, we have not been able to come up with N100, 000 for the test”.

    He said they were spending N10, 900 for the physiotherapy and about N1, 000 for transport per visit to the hospital every fortnight in Aba.

    They have spent about N6, 000 weekly for six months in Lagos before moving to Aba, he said.

    What makes the situation particularly tasking for the Denwosus is the fact that Alexander does not eat solid food. So, taking care of him is becoming a challenge for the couple who have no reliable source of income. “He takes only tea and bread or pap. We’ve tried giving him other types of food such as rice, beans, yam and eba, but he would cry and refuse to take any other type of food given to him,” he said.

    Since they could not source N100, 000 for the MRI test, Alexander’s treatment has been suspended.

    Meanwhile, a relative told the Denwosus that another boy with a similar case was treated successfully in India. Consequently, they contacted the hospital in India where the said boy was cured and tried to find out what could be done for Alexander. “The hospital said it can handle it, but it gave us a bill of N2.5 million for everything, including the cost of air transportation and living expenses in India for the boy and his mother. Since then, we’ve been looking for how to raise the money to cure our son,” the father said, appealing to Nigerians for help to save Alexander.

    His words: “I want to appeal to Nigerians to assist Alexander, so that he can live a normal life. The challenge is that he lies on the floor most of the time. We can no longer take him out always because he is growing. The implication is that he is sometimes isolated. He wears diapers all the time because he urinates frequently and his mother is tired of washing his pants. So, buying diapers is another challenge.”

    Denwosu can be contacted on 08080788963. Well wishers have also been urged to donate generously, by paying into his account: Prince Ikenna Denwosu, First Bank 2008385275 or Diamond Bank 0046435478 or into that of his wife, Peculiar Denwosu, Ecobank 1661198616.  

  • Computer traders allege violation of constitution by leaders

    Members of the Computer and Allied Products Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN) have accused their leaders of violating their constitution.

    They said no election has been held in 10 years, which, according to them, is contrary to their constitution’s provision that there must be new leaders every four years.

    The traders alleged the tenure of the Ibrahim Tunji-led executive had since elapsed but the officers have remained in office in breach of their rules.

    They marched on the Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos, and adjourning streets, bearing placards, some of which read: “Election must hold now!” “Saving the market is a must” “12 years in office is a slap!” “In credible election we believe, not selection!” “We need a change now!” among others.

    The traders urged the association’s board of trustees to “put a mechanism in motion” towards holding an election, saying: “We request that an Electoral Committee should be constituted immediately to enable them publish the election modalities as well as manage the electoral process.”

    A founding CAPDAN executive member, Mrs Abisola Isokpehi said another election is long overdue. Her words: “Why won’t a change be necessary in 10 years? Have you heard that a set of executives will be in office for 10 years? I’m one of the ‘excos’. We don’t call meetings, nothing; just two or three people parading themselves as CAPDAN executive officers and doing things we don’t know about. But that’s beside the point. How can we be in power for 10 years? As I speak we don’t even have an office or a secretariat. I am ready to let go as the auditor if an election will hold.”

    One of traders, Bayo Olawunmi, said: “Nobody is happy with the way the market is being run. All the stakeholders are complaining. They feel the present executives are not doing enough and they want a change. Up till this moment, no election of transition committee has been constituted.

    “We’re urging the state government to intervene. The Constitution says after four years, there must be an election, but none has been held for over 10 years. We need a lot of changes to be effected because the market is not well-regulated. We have a bad name of selling fake products because of lack of proper regulation and we are losing customers,” he said.

    However, CAPDAN’s Board of Trustees’ chairman Mr Ganiyu Alimi said arrangements were on to hold an election soon.

    “We had started the process before this agitation by the traders. We plan to appoint a caretaker committee. The president actually said he has stepped aside, giving room for an election to hold.

    “Before any credible election is held, there must be a new roster of members. That’s why we’re saying there should be a committee that will be in place to arrange these things. It is not automatic. Ask these people to show you their membership cards, many of them cannot,” he said.

  • Police arrest five robbery suspects

    Police arrest five robbery suspects

    Five armed robbery suspects, who specialise in snatching cars and changing their engine chassis numbers with special markers, have been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS),Lagos State Police Command.

    The suspects are: Mahmud Abdulkareem Tanko, 48; Musa Yusuf, 27; Abayomi Adebayo, 53, Israel Nana, 30, and Moses Andrel, 25.

    The stolen cars recovered and tagged exhibits are: Toyota Camry, MU 861 CA, Mistibushi Outlander, KTU 615 AV, Toyota Camry, BQ 652 AKD, Toyota Camry, MUS 353 CV, Toyota Camry, BDG 370 CQ and Toyota Camry, AAA 487 CA.

    Others are Nissan Pathfinder, SUV AGB 839 RK, Nissan Murano, SUV KRK 449 CL, Honda Accord (EOD) KMM 115 AA, Honda Accord, LSD 394 BG, Toyota Corolla, KUJ 132 HT, Mitsibushi Outlander SUV, KJA 745 BH, Toyota Camry, UW 879 KJA, Toyota Avensis, ABJ 89 BK and Toyota Sienna Space Bus, FJ 611 LSR.

    The Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, said the essence of showing the vehicle registration numbers was to help the owners to be aware of their recovered vehicles.

    The markers, which were used to change the engine/chassis numbers of stolen cars, were also recovered.

    While parading the suspects yesterday in Lagos, he said he mandated the officer-in-charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police, to fish out the hoodlums and bring them to book, following some cases of armed robbery involving car-snatching in the Command in recent times.

    Through the deployment of cutting-edge technology, intensive surveillance and aggressive patrol, the above suspects were arrested.

    The 15 previously stolen vehicles by the syndicate were also recovered within the Command and in different locations, including Abuja, Port Harcourt and Benin City.

    He further stated that Adebayo, who is notorious for changing of engines and chassis numbers of stolen vehicles, was equally arrested.

    According to him, the suspects, who confessed to the crime, were helping the Police in their investigation.

    He also assured all Lagosians of his resolve to reduce crimes to the barest minimum, while enjoining the public to always avail the Police of actionable intelligence that could help to combat crimes.

    Explaining his role in the crime, the third suspect, Adebayo, said: “I am from Epe in Lagos State. I am a panel beater and I live in Idimu. I am married to two wives and I have eight children. I really committed the offence in ignorance. It was one of my customers, Alhaji Balogun, a car dealer who used to give me the job of changing car engines and chassis numbers. He pays me N25,000 for every job that I do for him.

    I used these markers to erase original engine/chassis numbers and replaced them with new numbers, using the same markers. I have been in this job for four years now. I became a landlord from the money I made from it. The house is in Ayobo, a Lagos suburb. I have lost count of the number of vehicles I have changed their engines and chassis numbers.

    Another suspect, Moses, said: “I am from Liberia. I came to Nigeria in 2013 as a refugee. I also snatched a Honda Accord car belonging to my boss. I have only snatched four cars since I started working as a driver. I collected cars from Victoria Island, Lekki, Magodo and Ikoyi, among other places.

    “I was arrested in a bank in Uyo. I had tried to use an ATM card, but the money was not dispensed; so, I went into the bank to meet with a customer care officer. In the process, they alerted SARS operatives who laid ambush and arrested me, as I wanted to leave the bank.

    “I did not put any price on the cars I gave to buyers. But my concern was just to bring the cars, with the assurance that they would give me reasonable money.”

    One of the victims , Engineer Dipo Ashafa, whom Aderanti handed over the key of his recovered vehicle, commended the Police for the good work and urged them to continue to do more, adding that it would go a long way in building the confidence of the members of the public in the Nigeria Police.

  • Synagogue’s collapsed building, additional floors not approved, says govt

    Synagogue’s collapsed building, additional floors not approved, says govt

    The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) building that collapsed on September 12, killing 116 people as well as the additional three floors on the main church auditorium were not approved, the Coroner inquest heard yesterday.

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Toyin Ayinde, made the disclosure while giving evidence before Coroner Oyetade Komolafe.

    Ayinde, who told the court that the only approval in government’s records for SCOAN was that of the main auditorium dated January 26, 2004, however, maintained that three illegal floors had been added to the building which was approved to be five floors.

    The commissioner told the court that of 42,358 electronic files that had approvals as far back as 1990, there was no approval for the collapsed building, making it an illegal construction.

    Ayinde also said that from his observation during the visit of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), the column for the additional floors on the main auditorium started midway.

    “The approval given to the church was in the name of SCOAN dated January 26, 2004 and was for the main auditorium. The approval was for five floors, but at the site visit, I discovered the main auditorium has three additional floors, making eight. The collapsed building by the record of the Lagos State government had no approval,” said Ayinde.

    According to him, the church did not reply to the state’s letter, demanding various documents and details, just as he stated that he was informed by his personnel that they were not allowed access the first day until he called the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Commander.

    The commissioner told the court that after he was presented a copy of the CCTV footage, which they watched at the invitation of Prophet Temitope Joshua on September 14, the state sent a copy of the footage to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) demanding to know the aircraft that flew.

    Ayinde also disclosed that the information provided by NAF, Air Force personnel were training and all aircraft were to fly at altitude of 1100 metres above ground level, which is about 119 floors.

    “After watching the footage, we were given a copy by the Prophet. We made another copy of it and sent our officers to the site. We also sent a copy to the office of the Surveyor General to find out if they had record of the collapsed building site.

    Under cross-examination by the church’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, Ayinde confirmed that the existence of an approval or permit had a bearing to the structural stability of a building.

    He stated that even buildings with approvals sometimes collapse, noting that there is no scientific proof that a building will stand or fall if there is none.

    The commissioner, who said the CCTV footage he watched at TB Joshua’s office showed the building fell symmetrically, later changed his position after watching the footage in court.

    He stated that from the recording in court, which was his second time of watching the footage, the collapsed building did not fall at once.

    Ayinde said: “I am not aware of any government assessment. An assessment is not a document of approval; it implies a building is deemed approvable. It is possible to have legal and illegal assessment. If there is no stamp or endorsement, it will be illegal. Lack of approval does not mean a structure is stable or unstable, unless there is a test. There is a condition for regularisation, if a building is approvable and capable of being regularised.

    “During my visit at the scene on Sunday, not much work had been done and I saw five slabs standing, including ground zero. I do not have any competence to observe the building foundation, but I observed a few column points at ground zero. If there was uniform failure, I don’t know what part of a building that could stand. There can only be something standing, if there is a weaker side that collapsed.

    “I observed there was pulverization from the CCTC footage, which is normal with any collapse. I did not see a hovering of aircraft. I saw uniform directional movement, which is justifiable because that area is a flight path. I cannot confirm it was the same aircraft. I saw four aircraft moving in the same pattern. I did not see any remarkable close movement of the aircraft to the collapsed building. I know as a designer that there is a flight corridor, which we make provisions for in designing. If the aircraft was flying low, its size would have been bigger than that. We determined the distance based on the co-ordinates given. I cannot determine the distance of any of the aircraft because I am not an authority in the field.” Contending the picture evidence presented by the church showing the closeness of the aircraft to the building as captured by the blackberry phone of one Shedreck, Ayinde said he did not agree that the picture was taken from ground zero.

    The Surveyor General of Lagos State, Joseph Agbenla, also presented his evidence, while the South African government said it was still in talks with their lawyers and not ready to give evidence.

    Also, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were also not taken on Thursday for want of time.

    Meanwhile, there was a mild drama in the court as the coroner walked a lawyer, Nelson Okedinachi, out of the court room for disturbing proceedings.

    The lawyer had come in while the court was in session to notify the coroner of a pending application before a Federal High Court challenging the Coroner Inquest.

    As Ayinde was about being led in evidence, Okedinachi collected the microphone, announced himself and tried to state his reason. He, was, however, stopped by Komolafe who asked him to “go and do the needful.”

     His hesitance prompted the court to walk him out and the proceeding continued.

  • Hospital denies neglecting dog bite victim

    Hospital denies neglecting dog bite victim

    Authorities at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, are angry over a report by an online publication, alleging that the hospital neglected a four-year-old dog bite victim, Omonigho Abraham.

    The boy, who is on admission at its Plastic Surgery Ward (BT Unit), was attacked by two Alsatian dogs on September 25 at Igando, a Lagos suburb.

    The hospital expressed dismay at the claim by the boy’s father, Mr Odia Abraham, when he interacted with some journalists, that the boy was dying

    It said the “save my son’s life” financial appeal made by the boy’s parents in the media, was unnecessary as the state government had ordered the hospital to treat him free, adding that the treatment had since commenced.

    The boy’s father, who brought his son to LASUTH 34 days ago, said some of the things written on the blog were false, adding that he did not know where the bloggers got the “untrue” information from. “I spoke to them but I didn’t say most of things they wrote on their blog,” he said.

    Reacting to the post, LASUTH Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Wale Oke denied that the hospital abandoned the boy to his fate, noting that he was under close watch by the experts instructed to monitor his situation closely.

    He absolved the hospital of any wrong, citing professionalism as reasons the boy’s scalp had not been taken care of.

    Oke said the procedure for treating dog bite is that the infection must be treated first. “We must take care of the infection before stitching the tissues,” he said.

    The boy’s father, however, said his son wasn’t treated well because the consultant did not show up for almost two weeks, stressing that this was why he cried out for help.

    Odia, who came to LASUTH with his lawyer, said he did not understand the treatment procedure, adding that nobody explained to him the reason for the delay in closing up his son’s scalp. “I am very concerned about the health of my son,” he said.

    He alleged that he was not given his son’s medical certificate when he initially demanded it, adding that he paid for drugs despite the order by the state government that his son should be treated free.

    A plastic surgeon at LASUTH, Prof Idowu Fadeyibi, also said there are protocols for dog bite treatment.

    He said he had been receiving calls from across the world that the hospital abandoned a four-year old who was mauled by dogs.

    Fadeyibi, the consultant in-charge of the boy’s case, corroborated the CMD, saying that his head had been infected, noting that it must be treated first before stitching the wound. “This takes time. His body must heal a bit after treating infection before suture. It is the right thing to do and we were briefing the mother, Mrs Helen Abraham, on every step. So, we are surprised at the accusation leveled against us,” he said.

    Fadeyibi said his name was mentioned four times on the blog with the father quoted as saying that he should be held responsible if his son dies.

    The surgeon said a plastic surgeon, Dr Oludare Aneyo, was always monitoring him to ensure he was alright.

    Fadeyibi said there are two major things that should be carried out on people who are mauled by dogs. They are reconstruction and cosmetic surgeries. “The first takes a short time to achieve. We get soft skin to cover the wound. This surgery can take six months to achieve,” Fadeyibi said.

    He said the boy’s father had not paid any money since the state government officially ordered that the hospital should treat the boy free.

    “The hospital has been living up to the state’s free health policy by ensuring that he gets proper treatment,” he said.