The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • Mother, child death: Hospital management absolves self of blame

    Mother, child death: Hospital management absolves self of blame

    The management of Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre in Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area, Alimosho, Lagos has exonerated the hospital from the incident that led to the death of Mrs Omowunmi Shonuga, who with her baby died during delivery, reports TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

    •’She gave birth before reaching hospital’    

    •Doctor: everything was done to save her 

    •The late Mrs Shonuga
    •The late Mrs Shonuga

    The death of Mrs Omowunmi Shonuga and her baby during child birth has thrown residents of Shagari Estate at the Federal Low Cost Housing Scheme, Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos into mourning.

    The widower, Ayobanji is crying foul, alleging that his wife and baby died due to negligence of the personnel at the Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre in Alimosho.

    According to Shonuga, the gate to the centre was locked in the early hours of Monday October 26 when he rushed his expectant wife to the place.

    He said: “We got to the hospital around 5am to meet the hospitals locked. I horned, nobody came out. After a while, a woman came out and said there was no doctor on duty to attend to me and that I should take her to the Igando General Hospital. I said it was impossible for a doctor not to be on duty in a hospital as big as this. She ignored my other inquiries. As I got back to my car, I saw that my wife had delivered the baby and  she was bleeding. It was when I started shouting, ‘Blood! Blood! Baby’ that two nurses rushed out from the hospital.”

    Shonuga alleged that the nurses blamed him for not shouting loud enough to have attracted their attention to get the keys to open the gate.

    “After they opened the gate, I drove in. One of the attendants picked the baby, but the nurses refused to touch my wife. I asked for a stretcher to take her in, they said they didn’t have. I asked for an ambulance to take her away from there, they said they were not with the keys. I had to carry her upstairs with no help from them because they didn’t want to touch her. They said there was no doctor to attend to her,” he alleged.

    Mrs Shonuga later died at the Igando General Hospital, Igando, where she was referred to.

    •Mrs Quadri
    •Mrs Quadri

    Explaining their side of the tragic incident, the Apex Nurse of Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre, Mrs Ayoka Quadri, denied that the Shonugas were not promptly attended to.

    According to her, the Shonugas came in with dead baby and the nurses and doctor on duty did all they could to save the mother’s life.

    Mrs Quadri said: “The late Mrs Shonuga was one of our clients. When she was brought in on Monday October 25 morning around 7:30am, the nurses on duty attended to them immediately and they rushed the woman inside. They saw the woman in the pool of blood with a dead baby that has not been separated from the mother. They separated the dead baby and rushed the woman into the Labour Room to resuscitate her. They gave her anti-heamorrhagic drugs that are supposed to be used for people in labour and other necessary treatment required to stop the blood.

    “Thereafter, we apply anti-shock garment before referring her to the Igando General Hospital. We also mandated one of our nurses to accompany them for quick attention.”

    •The labour room where she was attended to
    •The labour room where she was attended to

    She said the deceased must have gone through labour for long hours before she was brought to the centre, claiming it was impossible for someone to start labouring and delivered within two hours.

    “She has been mismanaged somewhere else. We learnt that she spent the weekend in the church and from there her husband brought her to the centre. Her husband should be bold enough to say the truth. There are stages of labour. So, it is not possible to deliver within two hours. That means she has been taken to somewhere where they couldn’t manage her condition anymore before she was rushed down here. So, she probably might have started labouring since Saturday before they broughther here on Monday morning when they could not handle the case anymore.”

    The nurse who accompanied them to Igando General Hospital, Mrs Maryam Daramola, said the late Mrs Shonuga told her husband inside the car not to worry that she is not going to die.

    She said: “I was with her inside the car. The woman was talking to her husband, saying ‘Oko mi AY, o ni fi oju sukun mi (meaning: my husband Ayo, you ‘re not going to cry over me.’)  She was praying and I told the husband to drive safely, be calm, that his wife was getting better. When we got to the hospital, I ran out of the car to quickly meet the doctor. There was no bed space, so the doctor had to treat her in his office since it’s an emergency. They did blood transfusion and stabilised her.

    “Afterwards, the doctor asked her husband to explain what actually happened to her and why she was taken to church instead of hospital. He couldn’t give a convincing response.”

    On the delay before the deceased was transferred to the general hospital, Mrs Daramola denied delaying the woman at health centre.

    •The anti-shock garment used for her
    •The anti-shock garment used for her

    “The doctor who attended to her was the same person that assisted in carrying her downstairs after which he returned up stairs to write the referral. That was the time Mr Shonuga was shouting that they are wasting their time,” she said.

    Dr Olakunle Olaleye said he had to call other personnel to help carry the woman down stairs after noticing her husband’s non-challant attitude.

    “The lackadaisical attitude of the husband baffled me. I had to get the support of someone else and told the man (Shonuga) to drop his phone because of the emergency situation. I went down to get the stretcher that we used to carry her down stair with the help of the husband,” he said.

    Olaleye blamed Mrs Shonuga’s death on negligence.

    He said: “I think it was a case of negligence by her husband;  the patient has been mismanaged grossly where she was taken to because she was in a church garment and a white cap. Everything was done in the capacity of the doctor and the nurses on duty to handle the situation. But unfortunately, she died when she got to the general hospital  one hour after admission. The injury was overwhelming before she was brought into the hospital,” he said.

    He urged people to stop patronising faith-based homes for delivery and traditional birth attendants, but to take advantage of medical centres provided by government.

     

  • APC chieftains accuse opposition of interference

    Two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, Alhaji Kareem Adebayo and Mr. Robert Ogunjimi, have accused some members and leaders of the opposition parties in the state of undue interference in the internal affairs of the ruling party in their bid to “reap from where they did not sow”.

    Adebayo and Ogunjimi, who are the chairman and secretary respectively of the APC in Saki West Local Government Area, said the identified politicians, especially those who abandoned the APC for Labour Party (LP) and Accord Party (AP), were in the habit of cashing in on any perceived misunderstanding within the APC to mislead its national leadership with a view to getting undue attention.

    In a statement they said: “A good example of their opportunistic antics was the attempt to hijack the minor squabble which resulted from the nomination of Adebayo Shittu as a ministerial nominee by President Buhari as they quickly reached out to him (Shittu) with a blueprint that had been prepared to cause schism and polarise our party.

    “But unknown to those political players, what happened between Shittu and the leadership of the APC was a mere expression of grievance which yielded the desired results as the minister-designate has since mended fences with his fellow party men while he now enjoys their full support and co-operation.

  • Afe Babalola: Two events that shaped my thinking about education

    Afe Babalola: Two events that shaped my thinking about education

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who is a confidant of Aare Afe Babalola said, shared some  secrets  where during the convocation of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) where the monarch was bestowed with a honorary doctorate degree alongside three others. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA reports.

    The cordial relationship between the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and founder of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola has spanned 50 years. Years ago, the Alaafin had conferred on Babalola the Aare Bamofin of Yoruba land. And years later, an honorary Dr of Letters was bestowed on the monarch by the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti. It was at the ABUAD convocation lecture held at the varsity’s auditorium.

    Oba Adeyemi praised Aare Babalola for establishing a university as a legacy and making same a model for functional education in Nigeria.

    But Oba Adeyemi was not the only recipient of an honorary degree. The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters.

    Former Justice of the Supreme Court and former Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Emmanuel Ayoola (rtd) was honoured with honorary Dr of Law, while the immediate past INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega received an honorary Dr of Public Administration.

    Oba Adeyemi therefore called on other recipients of the awards to join him on the podium to seek long life and sound health for Babalola, a session which was led by Bishop Kukah.

    Babalola explained to the large audience that the establishment of ABUAD was simply by accident.

    “Some 10 years ago, if anyone had told me that I would veer into education and establish a university that would be described by UNESCO as a world-class I would have told him it would never happen. Reason: I was comfortable, happy and enjoying the beauty of legal practice but God sent former President Obasanjo to convince me to accept the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos which was (then) besieged by corruption and fractionalisation,” he said.

    As Pro-Chancellor, Babalola was able to convince some blue-chip companies on the need to put in one or more facilities. The once-crisis-ridden leadership tussle of the institution stabilised.

    “The leadership style of the chairman was exemplary. The leadership style of the Council was charatcterised by optimum time and resource utilisation and a good team spirit,” Babalola quoted Jega as saying in the report.

    “These two events affected my thinking about education positively and I vowed to establish a university that would be an example of what a university properly called should be,” said Babalola.

    Continuing, he said: “I headed to this place which was then a thick forest some six years ago. This is the story of how ABUAD came into existence,”

    Today; ABUAD is being described as the ‘Fastest growing private university in Africa, a model and a reference point for tertiary education by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, described Aare Babalola as the biggest employer of labour, after Ekiti State government. In addition, Fayose said Babalola also remits the highest tax to government coffers. In view of the foregoing, the governor vows that the state government would support the institution, particularly Babalola’s earlier request for more land for expansion..

    “I want to thank Aare Afe Bablola for openly supporting my government all the time. Therefore, there is the need for us to also create an environment for ABUAD to do better. The university is yearning for more land for expansion.

    “With the level of development in the university, I am of the strong view that in 10 years time, ABUAD may turn out one of the best in Africa.”

    Jega described Babalola as a selfless Nigeria who is being reputed for his generosity and large-heartedness. As a first time visitor, Jega said he was awed by the rate of infrastructure in the institution, an evidence of a founder who is committed to bringing about a reform in the nation’s education sector.

    “This is my first time here but I must confess I am dazed by what I’ve seen. This shows an example of a man so committed to quality education. I think if we can have few of Afe Babalola in Nigeria, the country would be a better place,” Jega said.

    Kukah enjoined all to support Babalola in ensuring that ABUAD fully attained its set objectives.

     

  • Council opens bid for roads construction

    Council opens bid for roads construction

    •Cross section of people at the event
    •Cross section of people at the event

    In line with the Lagos State government’s directive that the 57  council areas should construct two roads each, the Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area has invited competent contractors to bid for the two roads it would construct.

    Recall that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had, while speaking during the monthly meeting with the Executive Secretaries of the 57 councils to review the progress report in their various communities as well as their challenges recently, said the decision to embark on the road rehabilitation was in line with the reforms at the local government level. He noted that the first phase will commence with the reconstruction of 114 roads (two in each council area) at the cost of N19 billion.

    The Governor, who said the execution of the project will be left in the care of the local governments, however, urged the Executive Secretaries to ensure that only the best contractors are engaged to ensure that the prescribed standard is met on all the roads. It was based on this directive that “best contractors are engaged to ensure that the prescribed standard is met on all the roads”, that the council, through its consultant, advertised for competent contractors to bid for the construction of two roads in the area. The roads for bidding are Olorunninsola Street and Ettal Memunat Street Onigbongbo.

    A release signed by the Information Officer of Onigbongbo LCDA, Mrs. Olubukola Ilesanmi-Fajinmi indicates that in all, nine contractors came for the bidding which took place at the council’s secretariat on Friday. Mrs. Ilesanmi-Fajinmi said: “Following the laid down rules by the Lagos State Government, there was a level playing ground for all interested companies which tendered bids for any of the projects.”Opening of bidding was attended by nine different companies, and the roads for bidding are Olorunninsola Street and Ettal Memunat Street Onigbongbo.Four companies bided for Ettal Memunat while five companies bided for Olorunnisola Street.”

    The companies’ entire representatives expressed their satisfaction over what they called open and transparent bidding process and the fact that the council employed the services of a consultant which ensured transparency.”

    The chairman of the Tenders Board, Hon. Oladotun Olakanle explained that the board followed the rules as stipulated by the Lagos State Government; hence the open and transparent bidding process.

    Present at the opening of bidding were the Executive Secretary of Onigbongbo LCDA, Hon. Moshood Mustapha Abiola, Head of Administration, Mrs. B. A. Dalumo; Human Resource Officer, Mr. Adegbite A. A.; Legal Officer, Mrs. Olaiya and representatives of the nine companies that came for the bidding.

  • Despair as diarrhoea hits Unity School in Ekiti

    Despair as diarrhoea hits Unity School in Ekiti

    There was disquiet at Federal Government Girls’ College, Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State penultimate week where about 300 students were reportedly suffered from diarrhoea. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports that the outbreak caused panic in the community and created anxiety in the minds of parents and guardians.

    For parents and guardians whose children and wards are students of Federal Government Girls’ College, Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State, there were moments of pandemonium and despair. First, there were rumours that some of the students had fallen ill. The news spread like wildfire but there was no specific information with regard to what the ailment was. The nature of the ‘epidemic’ was shrouded in mystery. Parents became so anxious to know their children’s health status.

    The incident could no longer be kept secret as scores of school girls were taken to the hospital.

    What was first suspected was cholera, but after officials of the state Ministry of Health visited the school, it was discovered that the students were down with diarrhoea after some of the victims were subjected to medical scrutiny.

    •One of the sources of water at the college
    •One of the sources of water at the college

    Cholera or diarrhoea, no parent wants his/her ward to be afflicted with any of the two. After series of tests were carried out on the students, food and water facilities at the school,  it became clearer and the situation was brought under control.

    This was the scenario at the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Efon Alaaye in Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State where normalcy has since returned after many of its students suffered bouts of diarrhoea.

    As the news spread, some parents stormed the school to ascertain the health status of their children. Others who couldn’t appear physically were monitoring the development on the telephone.

    It was not only the parents that were worried, the school authorities led by the Principal, Mrs. Grace Ogunyomi, could not sleep until the last victim was discharged from the hospital.

    Besides the management, the leadership of the school’s Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) were also inundated with phone calls by concerned parents and guardians.

    Doctors, nurses and other workers at the General Hospital, Efon Alaaye, were stretched to their limits and they worked round the clock to ensure that the embattled school girls regained their health.

    The traditional ruler of the town, the Obalufon Alayemore of Efon Kingdom, Oba Emmanuel Adesanya Aladejare, also visited the hospital to know how the students were faring.

    That became understandable because the school was an important mark of federal presence in the community.

    Teachers, non-teaching staff and students of the school which has a population of over 700 students are still wondering how diarrhoea crept into the school.

    Throughout the period the diarrhoea scourge lasted, confusion loomed large at the college established in 1999 following claims in some quarters that as much as 300 of the students were hospitalised for exhibiting symptoms such as stooling, vomiting and weakness of the body, among other symptoms.

    Sources at the school confided in Southwest Report that some students began exhibiting signs of the illness on October 10 by vomiting and stooling uncontrollably.

    As the matter became worse, the Principal, Mrs Ogunyomi, was said to have reported the case to the Ekiti State government on Wednesday, October 21, through the Ministry of Health for prompt action.

    The source revealed that the students were not infected at the same time, but were taken to the hospital in batches for medication.

     

  • Nonagenarian advises youths

    Nonagenarian advises youths

    Nonagenarian, Pa Timothy Alade Oyedeji has advised children and youths to be obedient, hard working and honest.

    Speaking after the Children’s Day celebration at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Oke-Bola, Ibadan where he was the special guest, Pa Oyedeji stressed the need for the adults to mentor the younger ones in the way of God.

    He said: “Children should know where their strengths lay and how well they can put their talents to good use in order to make them better citizens. As they are growing up, it is important for them to know certain things.

    “By the time they leave secondary school, they have a lot waiting for them outside there. So, it is about looking around you; what is embedded in you to shape the present situation with resources at your disposal.”

    Dr Ezekiel Adelere, a lecturer at the University of Lagos, described Pa Oyedeji as a patriarch who had touched many lives.

    The event featured various children’s presentations, songs and hymns.

    Dignitaries who attended the event incýluded Elder Adelani Akintunde, Prof. and Prof. (Mrs.) Olarinde Akinboye, Prof. Johnson Oladiran, Mr. Kanmi Fadele, Elder Dapo Afilaka, Mr. Jacob Jegede and Pastor Rufus Akintunde, among others.

  • APC chieftain advises Muslim youths on nation-building

    The National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Muiz Banire has urged youths to have the fear of God in all they do. He also advised them to shun all anti-social and criminal activities.

    Banire spoke at the 2nd Shaykh Abdul Hakeem Ibn Abayomi Memorial Lecture organised by the Advanced Centre for Advocacy, Development and Empowerment of Muslim Community (ACADEMY) at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).

    His words: “When you fear Allah, you would not engage in corruption, kidnapping and other vices that can incur His wrath.”

    Banire, whose paper was entitled “The Role of Youths in Nation-building”, enjoined youths to seek knowledge and get educated for the development of the nation, adding that “knowledge is indispensable in the development of a nation”.

    According to him, if a nation must change, the youth must stand up to their responsibilities.

    “You must be politically active; do not leave it to the charlatans. It is important that you work before involving yourself in politics,” he added.

    He said if people do not abuse their positions of authority, the country would have been better developed.

    “There is no reason for a Muslim to have high blood pressure because you should be contented with whatever Allah has bestowed on you. Be thankful for everything either positive or negative,” he said.

  • Six companies jostle for two roads in Ipaja Ayobo

    Six construction companies are jostling for the construction of two major roads in the Ayobo Ipaja Local Council Development Area (LCDA). The roads are Pako-Baruwa and Maigida-Olayemi.

    The firms’ bids have been publicly opened at the council secretariat.

    They are Consteng Ltd, Lopek Ltd, Mafford Engineering Ltd, Bashcaul Civil Engineering Construction Company, Highskill Ltd and Essence Construction Ltd.

    Praising the companies for showing interest in the job, the council’s Executive Secretary, Dele Ayinde, urged them not to sacrifice standard and quality.

    Ayinde said the bidders’ documents will be scrutinized in order to pick the most qualified contractor.

    “Anybody who gets the job should do a thorough job. Change has come and unlike before, it is no longer business as usual. You observe that some roads that were constructed during the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s regime, they are still there till today, so this is the kind of good roads I want anyone who emerges winner to do for us.

    The kind of roads we are expecting are good and solid ones that will allow big lorries to pass through without damaging the road,” he said

    The council boss said he would join the supervising departments to monitor the quality of materials used.

    “Personally, I told them that we want a good job as directed by the governor, I will do everything possible to ensure that any contractor that wins the job does it diligently,” he said.

    The council’s Head of Administration, Adeniyi Otunniyi, emphasised that the contractor should do good roads that can stand the test of time.

    “Road construction is an essential part of human life, it brings development and boosts economy; but if it is not well constructed, you are creating problem for the council, the people and Lagos State at large,” he said.

    Speaking on behalf of the bidders, Mr Femi Adugbe of Consteng Ltd, thanked the council boss for giving them the opportunity to present their bids. He promised that the firm that wins the contract would do a good job.

  • College gets accreditation in six courses

    Relevant regulatory bodies have accredited six courses being run by the first private health institution in the state, Fabotas College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ado-Ekiti.

    The accrediting agencies included Environmental Health Officers’ Registration Council of Nigeria, Health Records Officers’ Registration Board of Nigeria, Dental Therapist Registration Board of Nigeria and Community Health Practitioners.

    The courses accredited are Community Health Extension Workers, Junior Community Health Extension Workers, Dental Technician; Health Information Technician, Environmental Health Technology and Environmental Health Assistant.

    Speaking on the development at a briefing, President and founder of Fabotas, Boboye Olanipekun, described the feat as “fulfilling for an institution established just three years ago.”

    According to him, the professional health boards and councils took the step after the institution had complied with their terms and conditions for accreditation.

    Olanipekun expressed confidence that all courses being offered will be accredited soon for the college to contribute to manpower development in health institutions.

    He explained that the college had built state-of-the-art laboratory, a model clinic and other practical–oriented structures to be able to impart proper knowledge to the students.

    Olanipekun revealed that the institution had gotten approvals and recognition from health institutions and stakeholders of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti and Ekiti State Hospitals Management Board.

  • Fed Govt to build 150 housing units in Ondo

    As part of efforts in making houses avoidable for Nigerians, the Federal Government has commenced the construction of 150 units of two and three-bedroom flats in Akure, the Ondo State capital. The project, which is being handled by Meadville Building and Construction Company, is expected to be completed within the next three months.

    Speaking during the inauguration of the programme, the State Controller of the Federal Mortgage Bank, Mrs. Mojisola Gbadebo, advised interested members of the public to key into the National Housing Fund Scheme.

    Gbadebo said this would enable them to benefit in the acquisition of the buildings as soon as they are completed.

    She further explained that the project was being sponsored by the bank in collaboration with the Federal Housing Authority Homes under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Lands and Housing.

    According to her, a prospective buyer who must be a contributor to the housing fund stands the chance of accessing the loan from the bank with six per cent interest rate with 30 years repayment period.

    She noted that the amount to charge the contributor depends on his or her income and age, adding that loan is not exclusively for salary earners but all income earners from the age of 18 years.