The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • Broken bridge brings Imo lawmakers to rural community

    The agony of a farming community in Imo State following its damaged bridge has forced members of the state House of Assembly to the bridge site, promising to bring the community’s pain to an end. OKODILI NDIDI reports

    The sight of lawmakers visiting rustic communities as a group is rare. They usually debate issues in their hallowed chambers, sometimes fight one another, and collect their salaries and allowances and go home.

    In Imo State things seem to be changing. Members of the state House of Assembly have set foot on Amaruru, a farming community in Orsu Local Government Area of the state, thanks to their broken bridge, the settlement’s only access to other communities, and more importantly to Nnewi, Anambra State’s commercial town, where the farmers sell most of their produce.

    Amaruru is cut off from other parts of the state and beyond because their link bridge is no more. It gave way under the weight of heavy-duty vehicles.

    The long bridge believed to have been constructed over 60 years ago through communal effort, finally caved in, after several years of disrepair. The bridge, according to the villagers, has been giving signs of imminent collapse, but all efforts to get the requisite authorities to intervene, were all abortive.

    Nze Cornel Isiuzo, a farmer, narrated that all adults in the community are made to pay monthly levies with which the bridge is maintained, adding that even though it is old, it has continued to serve the people until heavy-duty vehicles conveying petroleum products and cement, among other articles, started using the bridge to bypass a failed portion of the major road.

    Isiuzo, who said he was barely nine years when the bridge was constructed, lamented that the community union may not be able to raise the required amount of money to fix the bridge on time, adding, “It is a big challenge as it is, we are trapped, we can’t take our farm produce to the market and most of our women trade at the Nnewi market and now they cannot cross the bridge”.

    Speaking further, he said, “The entire community is at a loss over how to go about it because we have written several letters to the state government but nothing tangible came out of it. Now that the bridge has finally collapsed, we hope the state government will come to our aid”.

    Another community leader, Chief Stanley Ukammor described the collapse of the bridge as a major disaster. He noted that it has exposed the villagers to untold hardship as all economic activities have nosedived in the last two weeks since the unfortunate incident.

    He said, “We do not know how to go about it and the money needed to fix it or build another bridge is enormous and beyond the capacity of the villagers, who are mostly peasant farmers and retirees. We are appealing to the state governor Rochas Okorocha to order immediate palliative repairs on the bridge to free us from the current plight”.

    He also lamented that the community is facing another imminent danger of flooding as the Orashi River is already overflowing its banks since the collapse of the bridge.

    He said, “We are also confronted by another challenge that need to be quickly addressed, the Orashi River is overflowing the banks and the implication is that our farmlands will be flooded and our entire crops will be destroyed. Something need to be done and urgently too”.

    But there seems to be a ray of hope for Amaruru community as the Imo State House of Assembly adjourned sitting last week Thursday presided to visit the site of the collapsed bridge to have on-the-spot assessment of the level of damage on the ancient bridge.

    Led by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo who presided over the plenary, the lawmakers, who embarked on the visit based on the motion sponsored by the member representing Orsu State Constituency, Mr. Francis Uche Agabige, assured the people the attention of the state government will be drawn to the plight of the people, adding that urgent steps will be taken to address the issue.

    Agabige, while underlining the importance of the broken bridge to the community, noted, “It was the closest link to Anambra for people who do business in Nnewi, the commercial city. So it is of high economic importance to the people”.

    An engineer in the Ministry of Works, Godwin Ihegboro, said that the Ministry has visited the site for evaluation and assessment.

    Savouring the visit of the lawmakers is not enough. Amaruru residents are expecting action, which the lawmakers promised.

     

  • U.S. firm equips Abia hospitals

    The Abia State government has received medical equipment and supplies worth over N180 million from a United States of America-based organisation, Commision for Urgent Response and Equipment (C. U. R. E.).

    Speaking to newsmen in Umuahia, the state capital, Commissioner for Health Dr Gozie Ahukannah confirmed that the medical equipment and supplies have arrived in the state and will be deployed to enhance healthcare delivery in the state. He further stated that all the tiers of healthcare in the state would benefit from the supplies.

    Ahukanna assured that the medical equipment would be used on a regular basis in keeping with Governor Ikpeazu’s vow to improve the quality of medical services in the state.

    “The materials were donated by C.U.R.E. in USA but the shipment was facilitated by the Abia State government and we are expecting more,” he said.

    The delivery was a response to Governor Ikpeazu’s call to Abians in the Diaspora to support the development agenda of his administration. It was facilitated by Dr Ngozi  Ogbonna-Erondu, Coordinator of Abia State Diaspora Brain Trust/ Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Affairs, Dr (Mrs) Ocheze Ikpeazu-Ugboaja, Mr Mac Azuogu and the Chairman of the State’s Medical equipment and Supplies Committee, Dr Mike Enyinnah, is the third batch of medical supplies and equipment received by the state from the United States of America.

    While unveiling the materials, Dr Enyinnah informed the public that the current batch of equipment and supplies will be handed over to the management of Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba, to support the establishment of a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and improve tertiary healthcare delivery to citizens and residents of the state.

    He said, “This is the third batch of medical supplies we are receiving from the United States of America after Governor Ikpeazu visited the CEO of C.U.R.E, Dr James Jackson, in Denver Colorado USA and the team’s visit to Abia to assess the needs of the state in medical equipment and supplies.

    “Governor Ikpeazu has continued to innovate and engage private and public organizations at home and abroad to ensure improvements in healthcare delivery in the state with a view to ending medical tourism by Abians. I can assure you that the materials we have received compare favorably with the best available in the African continent and the western world.”

    He disclosed that the government spent eleven million naira to ship, clear and transport the materials to the state which arrived in a 40-ft container.

    The state government had previously received various mobility aid equipment for physically challenged persons, which were distributed across the 17 LGAs of the state and another batch of medical supplies which were distributed to primary and secondary healthcare facilities in the state.

    Among the equipment in the current delivery were oxygen concentrators, high tech monitors, nebulisers, dental chair, ICU beds, suction machines, delivery beds, hoyer lifts, anti-embolism extremity pumps, electric transformers, glucose meters, sphygmomanometers, air mattresses, wheel chairs, stretchers, thermotic gastric drainage pumps, bedside commode and many more.

    Also included in the supplies are syringes, dressing materials, feeding tubes, laboratory supplies, pads, adult diapers, infusions etc, all of which passed through regulatory screening by NAFDAC and other relevant agencies.

  • Lawmaker’s outreach lifts Ebonyi community

    An organisation, Caring Heart Foundation has attended to the health needs of over 3000 ailing residents of Abaomege, a community in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, reports OGOCHUKWU ANIOKE

    In Abaomege community, lack of functional health facilities has affected quality healthcare delivery in the area. The only health facilities in the area are poorly-equipped, dilapidated clinics.

    The first health care facility that was built in the community, in 1938, has been in deplorable condition and non-functional.

    This explains why the people of the area suffer all manner of sicknesses including peptic ulcer, tuberculosis, malaria, hypertension, and hepatitis, among others, without adequate medical attention.

    That was why Caring Heart Organisation, a non-governmental organisation, organised free medical services for the people both old and young.

    The NGO which is owned by a House of Representatives member representing Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo federal constituency, Hon. Linus Okorie  also embarked on the reviving the moribund first health facility in the area.

    President General of the community, Prince Joshua Umoke while speaking with our correspondent described the free medical outreach as the first of its kind in the area.

    He lamented that the people of the area have continued to suffer one of sickness or the other without medical attention as a result of lack of health facilities in the area.

    “The beneficiaries of the health services  are all from various locations villages, we have about seven settlements under Abaomege clan and people from all the segments are here today.

    “This is the first of kind, we have been seeing several healthcare programme but none of them landed on the ground like this one. Some people here  don’t even have money to transport themselves to the hospital for medical treatment and this great opportunity came from the caring heart foundation.

    “We have only local clinics in this town which are in bad conditions, they don’t even have facilities.  The caring heart is equally renovating the first health care facility that came to this place in 1938. If you go there, you will see the way Hon. Linus Okorie has transformed the health facility which has been in deplorable state”, he said.

    Some of the patients who benefited from the free medical outreach commended the NGO and called for the sustenance of the exercise.

    One the patients, a 70-year-old man, Igwe Clement, said, “I came here for medical attention, I have headache and ulcer and they gave me some tablets to use and come back next time. I am very happy that someone takes care of my illness. Most of us don’t have money for medical attention but Hon. Linus Okorie has assisted us by bringing medical services nearer to us”.

    A woman, Mrs. Ekene Melody explained that her children were the beneficiaries of the free medical outreach.

    “I am here for my children sake, they are not feeling fine. I got a message that there is a free medical services going on in our community and I decided to take them here since we don’t have functional health facility in our area. My children are having malaria, eye problem and ear problem. I am happy about this free medical outreach”.

    A scientist, Ugbon Emeka said the free medical outreach  will go a long way in ameliorating the sufferings of the people in the area. He noted that over 500 patients benefited from the exercise.

    “We have attended to more than 500 patients and more are still coming. In rural area like this where there are bushes here and there, the people suffer one sickness or the other. Some of them that don’t have better healthcare delivery can contract diseases like HIV and Hepatitis  without knowing it.

    “With this exercise, we were able to fish-out some of that sickness and referred them to appropriate quarters where they can be attended accordingly. We have been able to attend to some people and discovered some who have HIV and are well equipped because we came with medical experts”, he stated.

    One of the pharmacists, Mrs. Helen Nwuze who attended to the patients during the medical services disclosed that high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, peptic ulcer were common diseases the people of the area were suffering.

    “We are discovering high blood pressure, we are discovering diabetes mellitus which we call DM, we are peptic ulcer, some we discovered coughs that needed higher attention like suspected TB that we normally refer them to a place they can treat themselves”.

    On his part, Medical Director of AMURT, an international health organisation that collaborated with the Caring Heart Foundation for the exercise, Dr. Martins Agu  explained that the exercise was divided into three segments to achieve the desired goal.

    “We have three segments for the exercise; we have that for children from 18 years down, we also have for pregnant women, we have for adult. In each of the sections, we have our pharmacists, we have our team of doctors seeing them and we also have our Laboratory unit.

    “We are targeting at least 400 adult; we are also targeting 300 children. We also have pregnant women but they are not as much as we expected. The most prevalent cases we have attended is malaria, hyperte-nsion because most of the elderly ones are hypertensive and they are not properly taken care of.  We are doing what we can do by

    counseling them because we can’t treat them or cure them. We counsel them and make them know they have the sickness and what they should do”.

    Also speaking, Programme Coordinator caring heart and medical outreach, Onyekachi Ani said medical experts were engaged for the medical outreach.

    According to him, the medical outreach has referral services for patients whose cases are in bad situation.

    “The components of this programme include the presence of the AMURT people; its an international NGO and they came with their ultra-sound and lab equipment. They are to examine pregnant women and scan children that might have one issue or the other either a turmoil or the other.

    “We have referral services. If on the cause of diagnosis, doctor may discover a severe case that needed serious care they will refer the child to our ambulances and we will take the child to Federal Teaching Hospital and Hon. Linus Okorie will offset a bill of whatever amount it will be.

    “We have done that at Akaeze in Ivo local government area where we caught a child that have severe case that is cutting of intestine and Hon.  Linus Okorie Paid off the bill. We went to Ugwulangwu, Ohaozara local government and saw a child that has turmoil and when examination was conducted, it was discovered that it is a case and the treatment will last for six months and we have resumed the treatment. Hon. Okorie has paid in N150,000 case.

    “We have another child that has umbilical hyena, it has been diagnosed and the child has been booked for major surgery. The financial aspect of this medical outreach is being taking care of by Hon. Linus Okorie.  The money for this programme this October this year is already in my account as the coordinator of this programme. This programme will run for ten months,” he said.

     

  • Ex-ASUU president, Awuzie joins Imo senate race

    Former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Prof. Aloysius Ukachukwu Awuzie has joined the race for the Imo West (Orlu zone) senatorial seat in the 2019 general elections under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

    Awuzie, a professor of landscape architecture and the immediate past Vice Chancellor of lmo State University, while declaring his intention to vie for the seat, noted that “although each of the many Senators that represented Orlu zone since the 19 years of democratic governance in Nigeria’s 4th republic played his role in accordance with the best of his ability, based on his motivation for seeking the senatorial seat, the zone still does not appear to have ever been represented by its best”.

    Addressing a mammoth crowd of APGA supporters, as well as representatives of various religious groups and the academia at the Central School, Eziachi in Orlu Local Government Area, Awuzie, lamented that “academic qualification controversies dogged the most part of the tenure of the very group of persons that grabbed the mandate to represent Orlu zone since the past 19 years”.

    Speaking further, he said, “Based on internationally accepted standards for representation and the personal quality of the representative, it is clear that Orlu zone has not been represented by its second eleven, not to talk of its first eleven, in terms of educational qualification and commitment to party ideals’

    He therefore urged the people to “embrace APGA as a political party as according to him, APGA is peopled with notable resourceful and thoroughly educated personalities”.

    He said, “The ugly narrative of Orlu zone since the past 19 years has to change and it is for this reason that I present myself to contest and be elected as the senator representing Imo West (Orlu zone), some 2019”.

    Assuring APGA leaders of his reading to deliver on the job, the former ASUU boss, prided that,  ”an objective perusal through my profile shows that l have good education, administrative and managerial experience. I also have outstanding Charisma, a strong Character and visibility at the international, national and state levels. And, I had productively deployed these qualities in attracting and executing projects as ASUU president and vice Chancellor of lmo State University. These, I Will 3150 bring to bear on my legislative duties”.

     

  • Ikpeazu, Ortom, help me, cancer patient begs

    A breast cancer patient, Mrs. Tina Agnes Aka has sent a passionate appeal to Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, and his Benue State counterpart Samuel Ortom to help save her from her ordeal.

    The woman hails from Guma Local Government Area of Benue State but is an outpatient of Nigerian Christian Hospital, Nlagu in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.

    Aka was in pains and in tears as she spoke to our reporter surrounded by her relatives.

    She said she needs N500,000 to have the affected breast surgically removed by a team of medical experts visiting the hospital this month. Failing to come up with the money, she would have to endure the agony for the next three months when the surgeons are expected back in the hospital, and will still pay that sum.

    The 50-year-old widow and farmer, whose farms and home were burnt down by herdsmen who ransacked their village, said that life has been harsh on her and her children who now live on charity from individual donors and non-governmental organisations who donate relief materials in one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in their area.

     

    The beginning of her troubles

    “It started when I noticed some rashes on my breast which came with pain,” Aka narrated. “I told some persons about it because it was strange to me. At first, I thought it was a spiritual attack and when I noticed it was not, I was taken to a herbal home where the situation grew worse.

    “It was from the herbal home that I was now moved to Nlagu by my in-law who is residing in Aba. It was at Nlagu that I was told that I had cancer of the breast where I was told that the best thing that they can do is to cut off the affected breast to avoid it going over to the next one.”

    Mrs. Agnes, told our reporter that she would have sold some portion of her family’s lands to treat herself but herdsmen have sacked their community, and the residents haven’t been able to farm or even go back to their village.

    Agnes said that she has been told about the love the wife of Abia State governor and her husband, Okezie Ikpeazu have been showing to patients at the hospital and begged them to show mercy on her.

    She called on her state governor, Ortom to come to her rescue, stressing that she would want to reunite with her children at the IDP camp near their village who are still there without her supervision.

    A medical report by a consultant pathologist, Dr. C. O. Onwuka of Surepath Pathology Consultants of No.3 Akpa Ube Close, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, carried out on Agnes on July 14, 2017, confirmed that she has cancer of the breast.

    According to the report, Agnes would require three courses of Chemotherapy and actual surgery that would result in the removal of the ruptured breast.

    Her son, Joshua corroborating his mother’s account, said that the affected breast ripped open after his mother drank a concoction mixed by the herbalist whom they had deposited N30, 000 with out of the N50,000 he had charged to heal her.

    He told our reporter that caring for his mother with her health condition has not been easy with the family and their in-law in whose house at Alaoji in Obingwa LGA they have been taking refuge over one year.

    He disclosed that his mum in the last one year or more can only eat noodles, pap, yoghurt and bean cake (akara) and would vomit anytime she tries to eat solid food.

    To reach Tina Aka, call 08079484000, and for your donations, her account number is 3124097527 (First Bank Plc).

    To contact the team of doctors, call Dr. Brain Camazine (Chief Surgeon) on +12547180659   (USA), 07038459683 (Nigeria).e-mail; briancamazine@gmail.com or Dr. Jumbo (Chief Medical Director) 08038986345.

  • Ikpeazu visits Abia girls school after attack

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and his wife Nkechi have paid a surprise visit to Methodist Girls Model Secondary School (formerly known as Ovim Girls Secondary School, Isuikwuato) to personally review the security and other infrastructure in the school after it was invaded by a lone hoodlum a week ago.

    After the inspection, Governor Ikpeazu addressed the pupils, assuring them that the government will do everything possible to protect them and prevent future attempts to disrupt their peace and security.

    He directed security agencies to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of the attacker who jumped over the school’s dormitory fence to attack the students.

    He also directed that an electricity transformer be provided for the school to ensure regular power supply.

    Governor Ikpeazu, who was also accompanied on the visit by Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, Commissioner for Strategy, Chief Obinna Ekekwe, Commissioner for Sports, Chief Martin Okoji, member representing Isuikwuato state constituency, Honorable Chukwudi John-Ogelle, the LGA Chairman and his aides promised to ensure that the internal roads of the school are lit at night to enable easy identification of intruders. He also directed the Chairman of Isuikwuato local government area, Chief Nnamdi Udueze, to immediately clear all the bushy area within the institution and put in place a sustainable plan for the regular clearing of overgrown grasses in the school.

    While conducting the governor round the school, the visibly elated principal of the school, Ezinne Oluchi Ibenye, joined by the proprietor of the school, Rt. Rev. Obadiah Agbai, thanked the governor for visiting the school and also dispatching his aides before now to enquire about the school. She assured him that no student of the institution was raped by the hoodlum who, she said, took advantage of the heavy downpour of that day to invade the dormitory area.

    “My dear Governor,” she said, “I can assure you that no student of this school was raped as our brave students fought the hoodlum and raised the alarm and we arrived promptly. Unfortunately the hoodlum wounded some students with a rod but they have all been treated and discharged.”

    Governor Ikpeazu directed that the medical bill of the injured girls be forwarded to him for reimbursement.

    He also authorised the immediate extension of the fenced area of the dormitory to include the convenience building.

    The governor vowed to ensure that schools in the state are adequately protected and used the opportunity to applaud Abia school children, their teachers and parents for raising the best students in Nigeria. He promised that his administration will continue to prioritise qualitative and affordable education to guarantee that the future of the state.

    In a related development, the member representing Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Federal constituency, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejiocha who is an old girl of the 87-year-old mission school has equally visited the school to throw her support for the injured students.

    Onyejiocha expressed shock over the ugly incident and called on the Inspector General of Police to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of the suspect(s).

    She described the strange incident as “terrorism against the girl child” which she said must be resisted.

    The lawmaker who promised to fortify the school’s perimeter fence, replace the damaged louvers and doors however called for the beefing up of security in and around the school.

     

  • ‘Land grabbers are ruining us’

    The people of Amokwu Diala Community in Ngodo-Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State have protested the destruction of their farm produce by land grabbers, who, they said, have been selling their land.

    The Amokwu people are calling on the local government chairman Mr. Okechukwu Igwe to stop encroaching on their land and respect the agreement reached between the council and the community since 2012.

    Speaking with newsmen in his palace at Ngodo-Isuochi, the traditional ruler of Amokwu Diala community, HRH Eze Obiechila Nwokoro alleged that they were being deprived of their land which was freely given to them by God since creation.

    Eze Nwokoro traced how the land came to be their possession and how they agreed that the land would be shared between them and the council area, stressing that during the sharing that it was agreed that two third of the land should be given to them while one third will be given to the council.

    He said that since the agreement which was witnessed by the deputy chairman of the council, Aladunpali, who is also the chairman boundary committee of the council, the four traditional rulers that make up the four zones of the council area, the DPO and the representatives of the community led by himself, Eze Nwokoro, yet the council has refused to respect the agreement.

    The Amokwu Diala traditional ruler observed that the agreement was informed by the judgement delivered by His Lordship, Hon. Justice C. C. Jones Udeogu of the Umunneochi judicial division on 20th December. 2012.

    Eze Nwokoro said he and his people are aggrieved over the level of impunity and disregard to the rule of law which he alleged that the current council chairman, Bar Igwe has exhibited since he assumed office.

    He said, “Our farmland and produce have been destroyed by bulldozers used by the council on our parcel of land which is against the terms of agreement between us and the council administration following the judgement of the state high court at Umunneochi”.

    In his own contribution Ifeanyi Onyele the President-General (PG) of the community said that his people have been so intimidated that if they don’t protest that it could get worse and that they may no longer have any land to farm.

    Onyele said, “Our economic trees have been uprooted, which am afraid would lead to famine in our land, our area is highly underdeveloped without motor-able roads, no functional electricity, no pipe-borne water, in fact no reasonable government presence in Amokwu Diala community”.

    The PG continued, “To make the matter worse, as co-landlord of Umunneochi local government area, none of our indigenes are being considered for employment in the council as promised and stipulated in the agreement we signed”.

    He said that his people want the state government, “To leave our land for us as we don’t have any other land apart from the one being encroached on by the local government council which was given to us by our forefathers”.

    When contacted, one of the aides to the council chairman who does not want his name in print said that his boss is out of town on an official assignment and that he is not competent to speak on the issue and referred the press to the boundary committee.

  • Town unions to Ndigbo: think home

    Southeast Town Unions rose from a one-day economic summit in Enugu with a clarion call to Igbo sons and daughters with businesses outside Igboland to begin the process of repatriating their investment back home.

    This is with a view to opening up opportunities and addressing the unemployment crisis and the attendant security challenges in the zone.

    In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the group lamented that the extant security arrangement in Nigeria today has not served the interest of the Southeast “especially as it concerns the lives and property of the vulnerable, poor defenceless people at the grassroots.”

    The communique signed by the national president, Chief Emeka Diwe alongside state presidents of the association states further: “It is our view that security everywhere is a local affair and to overhaul the security architecture of Nigeria is an idea whose time has come. An effective community policing will certainly solve the problem.”

    The communique described as an aberration the non-inclusion of an Igbo man as a member of the National Security Council that is made up of eleven persons.

    On the menace of herdsmen, the group was of the view that both farmers and herders need the land but averred that herding of cattle is a private business which should be treated strictly on that basis.

    The group said it aligned with the concept of restructuring as advocated by many organisations in the Southeast. “However, our in depth research on the feeling of the people, the town unions being the closest to the grassroots, indicates that the people would want to agree first to live together before the conditions of living together would be spelt out.”

    On the issue of Biafra agitation, the group stated: “We regret the patently unsustainable approaches often being adopted by successive governments in Nigeria to deal with the Biafran question. Suppressing an idea does not succeed in making it go away. The Biafran agitation is not necessarily about secession or the break-up of Nigeria. Rather, it is an expression of displeasure over the unarguably prolonged marginalisation of Igbo people in the scheme of things in Nigeria. We therefore maintain that continous dialogue and genuine commitment to addressing the root cause of the agitations will solve the problem.”

    The summit with the theme “Economic, security and leadership challenges in the Southeast” had in attendance all Southeast town union leaders and as well as other stakeholders.

    The summit was chaired by the representative of the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo in the person of Hon. Alex Ogbonna, the Enugu State president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    Papers were presented by guest speakers at the occasion. The Speakers included Sir Stanley Chidozie Amuche whose presented the paper “Harnessing the Economic Potentials in the South East for the Prosperity of the Grassroot,”  Paulinus Igwe Nwagu who spoke on security challenges and Prof Ihechukwu Madubuike.

    The highlight of the summit was the Investiture of National patrons and meritorious awards conferred on the former governors of Anambra State Peter Obi and Chris Ngige and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

  • Private morgues: A disaster waiting to happen in Imo

    Agwa Road, a sprawling suburb in Ogbaku, Mbaitoli Council Area of Imo State, plays host to one of the numerous private mortuaries and embalment Centres that dot Imo State communities.

    The eerie atmosphere that pervades the area helps to heighten the fears of residents and visitors who throng the area.

    Another feature of Agwa Road is the putrid odour that fans the grim faces of residents and visitors alike as they approach the aging bungalow that houses hundreds of bodies that have been pumped full with embalment chemicals by untrained morticians. Fear of ghosts that creep in the dark also adds to the travail of residents who retire to bed earlier than they wished, coupled with ‘imagined voices’ that drive cold into the heart of even the bravest.

    Like in other businesses, the Udokamma Embalmment Centre, which sits conspicuously along the Agwa road, equally attracts other value chains.

    Opposite the morgue and other adjoining streets, coffin makers, ambulance operators and various undertakers struggle to market their products, converting the area into a one-stop shop for ‘the dead’.

    The case of Agwa is similar to very many other communities in the state, where the business of private morgues thrives.

    The embalment centres have continued to boom, despite the attendant health and social challenges.

    Like every smart investor, operators of the private morgue, equally consider location in siting their business as some of the biggest private mortuaries are sited along accident prone roads.

    For instance, Njaba Bridge, which is one of the most dangerous stretch in the  state, is home to several private morgues.

    Weird world of the untrained morticians

    Nwolisa Kingsley, a 27- year self-acclaimed mortician, can pass like every other young man of his age, but his steel looks enhanced by two burning eyeballs betrayed a ruthless spirit that is trapped in the diminutive frame.

    Speaking reluctantly with The Nation, in his dingy office directly opposite the morgue where hundreds of naked, black looking and bloated corpses lay on top each other in a most disorderly manner, Kingsley said he enjoyed his job looking after the bodies that he strangely referred to as ‘these things’.

    Contrary to the opinion that the spirits haunt workers in the morgue, especially those who died in accidents or other tragic means, the mortician  described the bodies as the best neighbours one could have.

    He said: “These things are not troublesome, they obey instructions without questioning unlike human beings but we treat them with respect knowing that there are people that love them too. There are some that we give VIP treatment that is if the owners cooperate.

    ”I am not scared of stories about ghosts because once your hands are clean, you have nothing to fear about; after all, I am not responsible for their death. But the only problem is the way people discriminate against you because you are working in a mortuary, they don’t want to come close to you. Some people even think that you are not normal.

    ”I did not go to any school to learn to be a mortician. It was one of my friends, Ini, he is from Akwa Ibom who taught me the job. He was working in a mortuary in a private hospital in Owerri and I used to go and visit him. At first I could not sleep at night after seeing the bodies, especially some accident victims that were brought in bits and pieces in body bags but with time I overcame that fear.”

    How lucrative is morgue business

    Operators of private morgues sure smile to the banks as they make between N200,000 and N300,000 monthly, after initial expenditures and payment of staff salaries.

    At one of the morgues visited by our reporter, the last tally given out read 128, meaning that 128 bodies were cramped into the two-room apartment, awaiting to be claimed.

    Apart from the compulsory N5,000 non-refundable deposit, N300 is charged for daily maintenance of bodies plus N20,000 for the collection of a body.

    According to a supervisor in one of the private owned morgues, who preferred not to be mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the owner,  ”mortuary business is lucrative and there is no much competition like in other businesses. It is not capital intensive to set up”.

    The supervisor disclosed that mortuary workers were  poorly paid, adding: “The mortuary owners have a very strong union that is registered with the State Ministry of Health and they make it so difficult for new members to come”.

    Efforts to get him to disclose the identity of his boss were rebuffed, apparently because the association of mortuary owners is run like a secret cult.

    Threats posed by the private morgues

    Aside from health and social hazards posed by the morgues, another disturbing aspect, is the inability of the mortuary workers to properly document the corpses.

    There have been several cases of people claiming the wrong corpse, only to discover after it has been buried.  This error of identity has caused severe crisis in most communities.

    For instance, in Ndegwu, Owerri West Council Area, a famous family (name withheld),  had the funeral of their patriach disrupted when a band of aggrieved mourners stormed the ceremony requesting that they   hand over the body to them.  After the initial uproar, it was discovered that the body they were about to bury was not their father. It took the intervention of the police to forestall bloodshed.

    Aside this social anomaly, private morgues pose serious health hazard to the immediate environment.

    A medical practitioner and public safety analyst, Dr. Harold-Wilson Onumuo, stated that mortuaries should not be sited in neighbourhood where people live.

    He said: “Morgues should be cited in special areas because of the chemicals that are used by morticians to preserve those corpses.

    “There should be well trained morticians to take care of the dead bodies because here we seem not to do autopsy and that is the major problem of citing morgues around residential areas because there should be known cause of death. Because when you don’t know the cause of death of an individual, you cannot preserve the body, because the preservation becomes a serious risk.

    “And this scenario where every dead body is taken to the mortuary without ascertaining the actual cause of death, is a high risk factor, which is a part  of treatment in the management of a patient, because even a dead body remains a patient, therefore it is imperative that you find out the primary cause of death before embalmment. It is only when you conduct an autopsy that you can find out if the cause of death is not transmittable. In most cases in the private morgues, this is not done and it very risky.

    “There are supposed to be strict regulation of the mortuary business, especially in this era where there are many viral diseases that can cause death. For instance you cannot preserve a body that is killed by Ebola for instance. Our health sector here is poorly managed, because government officials give approval for the citing of these mortuaries.”

    He added: “People living close to the mortuaries stand a great risk, especially when they inhale the chemicals used for the embalment of the bodies. There should be guidelines in the establishment of morgues. Now there are chemicals used by morticians that are injurious to health and even viral diseases from the dead bodies could lead to outbreak of serious diseases.”

  • Education is key, says Peter Obi

    A former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to change their attitude towards education.

    He decried the “the lack of treating education with the seriousness it deserves by classifying money spent on it as expenditure rather than investment”.

    Making this observation on a visit to Good Shepherd Anglican Academy, Lokoja, Kogi State, Obi urged Nigerians interested in the meaningful development of the country not to leave the task of improving education to government alone.

    He appealed to wealthy Nigerians to deny themselves the pleasure of the huge expenditure on the things and habits they do not necessarily need, and commit some of that money to support schools across the country.

    Elaborating on his mission to Lokoja, Obi said: “Some years ago, I joined in the advocacy for the policy of adopting schools; where you take it upon yourself to provide necessary epistemic infrastructure to the school adopted — laboratories, computers & Internet connectivity, power-generators, sick bay, among others. For the WASC and NECO examinations, one could also undertake to pay the registration fees for a number of candidates”.

    Obi commended the Anglican Archbishop of Lokoja, Most Rev. Dr.  Emmanuel Sokowanju Egbunu for his efforts to promote education, and demonstrated his support for his school with the sum of N2 million for its infrastructural improvements.

    The Archbishop of Lokoja Province of Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Egbunu described Obi as a modern-day apostle of education. He said he was humbled by Obi leaving Anambra State and visiting and supporting schools in all the parts of Nigeria, from Abia State, to Nasarawa, to Sokoto, to Benue, to Kogi and every part of the country.