The Nation Newspaper

Tag: residents

  • Residents besiege mortuary after fire

    RESIDENTS have continued to troop to the General Hospital, Enugwu-Ukwu, Anambra State, barely a week after the mortuary caught fire.

    Over 50 bodies were reportedly burnt in the December 29 fire.

    Bereaved families wailed on the scene while trying to identify burnt bodies.

    Security agents were under pressure guarding against unnecessary harm.

    Chima Ezeh, who deposited a body two weeks before the incident, said his family was yet to identify the body.

    Ezeh said he was denied access to the mortuary earlier only to receive a call at 3 pm that the mortuary had been gutted by fire.

    He said: “Some identified bodies were taken to Amaku General Hospital on December 30, leaving unidentified ones behind. We were waiting for morticians from Awka to determine what cause of action to take concerning identifying their deceased.”

    ‘’Mr. Sunday Onuorah, whose brother was deposited two weeks ago, lamented that the incident was a double jeopardy.

    “We were still mourning my brother’s death when news of the fire came. We are trying to keep this from getting to our mother for the fear of losing her too as she is hypertensive,” Onuora said.

    The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but the hospital management has been meeting over the incident.

  • Residents draw battle line with IE over meters

    •’No more payment until we get meters’

    For allegedly breaching an agreement to give them pre-paid meters, residents of Jakande Estate and Oke-Afa in Ejigbo, Lagos, have asked the Ikeja Electric (IE) Plc to stop bringing them bills.

    The power distributor, they said, was cheating them through estimated billing, adding: “This is why they do not want to give us meters, in line with our agreement with them.”

    Under the pact, the residents said IE was to have metered them within six months, which lapsed on November 24.

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), they said, gave the IE the ultimatum to meter over 3,000 residents.

    During a protest on Sunday, the residents, under the aegis of Estate Youth Parliament (EYP), carried placards with inscriptions such as: “No more estimated billing”, “We are overdue for prepaid meter”, “Bring us prepaid meters now”, “We are sick and tired of estimated billing methodology”. They said they could be forced to sue IE if their grievances were not addressed.

    Addressing reporters, EYP leader Yusuf Adeyemi said NERC on May 24 ordered it to   meter every customer in the estate within six months.

    Instead of heeding the order, the firm, he said, wrote the community that it could not  meter the community until the fourth quarter of 2019.

    In its letter, the firm blamed  inadequate power supply to the community on limited allocation from Transmission Company of Nigeria.

    It claimed that its unmetered customers were billed based on supply availability in line with NERC’s approved estimated billing system.

    The letter reads: “In response to your complaint, permit us to state that NERC’s approved system ensures that all accounts on the same starting and distribution transformer metered and unmetered are billed as closely as possible to ensure fairness and as much as possible eliminate outrageous billing.

    “Please note that as a result of peculiarity of the business and attendant industry challenges, we are constrained to meter your community between now and November 2018, but the vicinity has been scheduled for the exercise in the fourth quarter of 2019. The community can as well engage the services of meter asset provider vendors when full operation begins.”

    Read also: Ikeja Electric expands network maintenance

    Reacting, the residents claimed that they were over billed under the said system, saying they would no longer pay for electricity until they have meters.

    “For more than three years now, we have been cheated by Ikeja Electric. We are not going to take that any longer.

    “We are shorting down payment as from today until they bring prepaid IE meters for us,” Adeyemi said.

    The community’s Electricity Committee Chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Gbolahan Lawal, said he had been talking with IE on the matter for more than three years.

    He urged the firm to remove its wires from the community if it would not give them meters.

    Lawal said communities “with pre-paid meters pay less, “but we are charged more than what we consume.”

  • Free eye surgery for residents

    In its bid to improve health care standards of the underprivileged communities in Lagos and its environs, Rotary International President, Barry Rassin has reiterated the commitment of Rotary in providing free eye care for indigents in the state.

    Rassin and his wife Esther who were on three-day visit to Nigeria said this while inaugurating an eye hospital situated along Airport Road, Ikeja Lagos. He also said the facility will enhance the health of the people.

    While commending the initiative put together by Rotary Club of Lagos, Palm-Grove Estate, Indian Community and Indo Eye Care Foundation, Rotarian Barry Rassin and his wife pointed out that the gesture will go a long way in bringing succour to many Nigerians who suffer one ailment or the other, especially cataracts.

    His words: “When the hospital becomes operational, it will revolutionise the health care delivery for the underprivileged Nigerian communities. This is so significant when one considers that there are more than a million patients approaching blindness due to cataract.”

    Speaking about projects implemented by the foundation in the past, the President, Rotary Club of Palmgrove Estate, Rotarian Ravindra Kamat Indo Eye Care Foundation along with Rotary Club of Palmgrove Estate has performed over 20,000 free eye surgeries in Nigeria.

    “Seeing the overwhelming demand for eye-related treatment, we realised that bringing a team of doctors annually was not enough to help the indigent Nigerians. We, therefore, envisaged the need for opening an inclusive eye hospital here in Lagos that would cater for the underprivileged”, Kamat said.

     

  • Residents urged to lead hygienic lives

    Nigerians have been advised to imbibe hygienic practices to curb the spread of diseases.

    Brand Manager Hypo Onome Asagbra, spoke at the Hypo Team up to Clean up exercise at Ifelodun Community in Bariga, Lagos, in commemoration of the National Make a Difference Day.

    According to her, partnering key stakeholders and Nollywood ace actress, Dayo Amusa, for the exercise was to spur the people to make a difference in themselves and their community. She added that Hypo is using the clean up to sensitise and influence the people for positive behaviour towards good hygiene and sanitation habits.

    Area Marketing Manager Timothy Arowosegbe noted that Hypo has become a household name and there was no better way to give back to its consumers than through this initiative of influencing hygienic life among residents. “Being the leading brand in the category of household cleaning, the protection and promotion of public health, which improves the environment, is our responsibility to the society, and so we deemed it appropriate enough to make contributions to the betterment of our society,” he said.

    Assistant Director, Waste Management Division, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Tolulope Adeyo urged parents, guardians and community leaders to imbibe cleanliness as an essential way of life. “If we have a cleaner environment, there is a good chance that most of the avoidable diseases tormenting us like malaria, typhoid, dysentery and Lassa Fever would be far away. But this can only be achieved through individual responsibility in managing the waste generated daily through proper disposal of refuse,” he added.

    Chairman of Ifelodun Community Development Association Hakeem Musa noted that the decision to partner Hypo was to collaborate with a health-inclined brand which has the wellbeing of the community at heart. “We believe that Hypo has started with the introduction of affordable bleach for all, and also affirmed that this would definitely not be the last partnership between the company and the community,” he said.

    The clean-up was led by ace actress Dayo Amusa, who was delighted at touching lives through the initiative. She emphasised the importance of healthy living through healthy practices.

  • Residents urge govt to fix road

    Residents of Olaniyi Street, Daleko, near Ladipo in Mushin have appealed to the Mushin Local Government and Lagos State Government to fix the road.

    They said it has become a nightmare due to deep potholes.

    The potholes, the residents said, are causing loss of man-hour to traffic, adding that they also cause accidents.

    They said vehicles and tricycles (Keke Marwa) got da           maged in the process of removing them whenever they were trapped in the potholes.

    A resident, Mr. Ola Ogunniyi, said the potholes have been there for over four months.

    “I don’t remember the exact time the potholes problem started, but I am sure they have been there for over four months. The government has not fixed the road. It is affecting those of us living around here because the tricycle operators (Keke Marwa drivers) sometimes increase the fare because of the gridlock caused by the potholes,” he said.

    A tricycle operator, Uche Nnamdi, said: “The potholes are so bad that our Marwa (tricycles) fall in them and get spoilt. This affects our business. I hope the government does something about it.”

    Segun Alao, a commercial motorcyclist, said people usually pulled out cars and tricycles trapped in the potholes.

    ”The potholes are very deep. Drivers, who do not notice them from far, get stuck in them,” he said.

     

  • Foundation offers residents medical services

    The Ganiyu Abiodun Foundation (GAF), in partnership with Eko Club International (ECI) Medical Mission, last Saturday offered medical services to Lagosians.

    The event was held at Okota Baptist Church playing ground, Ali Dada Street, Okota, Isolo, Lagos from 10am.

    Medical personnel rendered services to the constituents of Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency II and the public.

    The turnout was impressive, as the young and elderly took advantage of the foundation’s initiative to receive medical treatment.

    Free drugs and eye glasses were given to people.

    The recipients hailed the foundation and former Lagos State Commissioner for Works, Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson, whom they described as a man who cared for the well-being of people.

    They urged him not to relent.

    Johnson, an engineer, said he was impressed by the turnout.

    He reiterated his commitment to people’s welfare and promised to sustain the programme.

  • Residents protest invasion, harassment by land grabbers

    Residents of Millennium Citi Centre Estate (MCCE), Gbagada, Lagos, yesterday protested harassment by suspected land grabbers.

    Chanting solidarity songs, the protesters stood outside the entrance of the estate from 7am, carrying placards with the inscription: ”We are law-abiding citizens, land grabbers leave us alone.”

    They accused land grabbers, popularly called omo onile, of unlawful invasion and instigating illegal arrest of private security personnel employed by the residents’ community development association.

    The demonstrators faulted the arrest of a security supervisor, Mr. Iyeke Williams and Jide Babalola, a barber in the estate and their subsequent parade by the police on national television.

    The chairman of the residents’ association, Mr. Soji Adeniji, said a faction of another family, having been politely prevented from forcibly entering the estate by security team, connived with the police to arrest and brutalise Williams and Babalola.

    He said: ”As the drama was unfolding, I was out of Lagos but I was receiving updates via telephone calls and on our estate’s social media platforms. The arrested victims were ordered by the police to lead them to my house. Since I was out of town, they forced themselves into my home and conducted a search without any warrant. My family was gripped with fear.

    “Throughout last week, the same team repeatedly came to my home at odd hours to ransack the place in search of me, with the intention to abduct and humiliate me over trumped up charges.”

    Adeniji appealed to the police authority to caution its operatives against being used by land grabbers to carry out illegal arrest.

    ”We have different omo onile (land grabbers) and all of them have militias that invade the estate and engage one another in supremacy battle. We do not want to be in the middle of this tug of war. They all have law suits against /among them that are yet to be decided by the courts and despite that they resort to self-help to claim ownership. Some residents of MCCE have even had to make payments to at least two of these families, to prevent disturbances.

    ”We call on the Inspector-General of Police to intervene, direct the release of the persons being illegally detained since September 13 and instruct officers and men of the Nigeria Police to stop lending themselves to being used for brazen illegality.”

    A representative of the original land owner, Antonio Delfino Da Meranda Family, Pastor Kolawole Shotayo, said his family sold the land to residents, adding that some persons who filed a suit against the family had resorted to self-help, instead of waiting for the outcome of the suit.

    ”I represent the owner of the land where the estate is situated, Delfino Da Meranda Family. We sold all the land in the area between 2002 and 2014.

    ”However, in 2010, members of a family that has nothing to do with our land filed a suit against us at a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, presided over by Justice Olayinka. The suit is due for hearing again on November 7.

    ”If the family in question wants to do anything in the estate, they are supposed to file an interlocutory injunction. But instead of doing that they are carrying out illegal arrests.”

  • 26,000 residents benefit from Oyetola’s medical mission

    No fewer than 26,000 residents of Osun State have benefitted from the free medical mission initiated by the campaign organisation of the Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s governorship election, Gboyega Oyetola.

    The free health mission which started on September 8 has been taken to nine towns. It started from Ejigbo to be rounded off with a return to Osogbo the state capital, tomorrow.

    A team of about 250 medical officials made up of doctors, nurses, and specialists were deployed to treat people for various ailments.

    The other towns where people benefitted from the programme are: Ilesa, Ile Ife, Ila, Ikire, Ede and Iwo.

    Apart from general medicine for all complaints, there were eye and dental tests and treatment.

    Thousands of people received eye glasses, others got dental extraction, scaling and polishing of teeth.

    The highest number of beneficiaries was recorded in Ikirun where over 4,000 people were treated.

    According the statistics obtained from the medical team, nine other towns recorded a minimum of 2,000 beneficiaries among them those very poor.

    It is as follows: Ejigbo Eye Unit: 618 _(Glasses: 440 given) Dental Unit: 220 (Dental Extraction, Scaling

    Polishing) General Medicine for all complaints: 1,675

    Total: 2,513

    Osogbo : Eye Unit: 842 (Glasses: 560 given) Dental Unit: 350 _(Dental Extraction:80, Scaling and  Polishing:100, Filling:49, Flouride Therapy:60)

    General Medicine for all complaints: 1,732 Total:2,867

    Iwo: Eye Unit: 741 _(Glasses: 321 given)_

    Dental Unit: 320 _(Dental Extraction:85, Scaling &

    Polishing:110, Filling:48, Flouride Therapy:56)

    General Medicine for all complaints: 2,743

    Total:3,804

    Oke Ila/Ila Orangun: Eye Unit: 425 _(Glasses: 238 given) Dental Unit: 310 (Dental Extraction:90, Scaling & Polishing 92, Flouride Therapy:52, Filling:51) General Medicine for all complaints: 1,842

    Total:2,577

    Ede: Eye Unit: 528 _(Glasses: 420 given)_

    Dental Unit: 280 _(Dental Extraction:75, Scaling &

    Polishing:90, Filling: 51, Flouride Therapy 53)

    General Medicine for all complaints: 1,613 Total:2,421

    Ikirun: Eye Unit: 749 _(Glasses: 560 given)_

    Dental Unit: 290 _(Dental Extraction:85, Scaling &

    Polishing:60, Filling: 40, Flouride Therapy:105)

    General Medicine for all complaints: 2,973

    Total:4,012

    Ilesa: Eye Unit: 562 _(Glasses: 409 given)_

    Dental Unit: 270 _(Dental Extraction:95, Scaling &

    Polishing:100, Filling:22, Flouride Therapy:22) General Medicine for all complaints: 1,921 Total:2,753

    Ife: Eye Unit: 482 _(Glasses: 363 given)_

    Dental Unit: 270 _(Dental Extraction:120, Scaling &

    Polishing:135, Filling:12, Flouride Therapy:14)

    General Medicine for all complaints: 1,834

    Total:2,586

    Ikire: Eye Unit: 436 _(Glasses: 286 given)_

    Dental Unit: 94 _(Dental Extraction: 20, Scaling &

    Polishing:35, Filling:3, Flouride Therapy: 4)

    General Medicine for all complaints: 2,292

    Total:2,822

    Treated are: Eye Care: 5,383,  Dental Care: 2,404 Medicine: 18,625 with a general total of 26,412 treated.

     

  • Residents seek completion of Isawo-Arepo road

    Residents of Isawo in Ikorodu, Lagos, yesterday appealed to the state government to complete the “abandoned” Agric-Isawo-Arepo road.

    They made the appeal in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikorodu.

    Isawo Community Development Association (ISCDA) Chairman Alhaji Adisa Owolabi told NAN that the road has been abandoned, leading to loss of properties, extended travel time and high transport fare.

    According to him, many communities were often cut off for several days whenever it rains due to the bad road.

    “From our observation, the Agric-Isawo-Arepo road phase 1 with a completion period of 20 months which began on July 17, 2016 was not up to 10 per cent completion as at September 2018.

    “The Airport-Oshodi road is more than 50 per cent completed, Agege Pen Cinema flyover is also above 50 per cent completed and the Abule Egba and Aja fly-over were finished in record time of less than 12 months. All these gave us an impression that our roads have probably been abandoned,” Owolabi said.

    The CDA Secretary, Abiodun Sunday, said the contractor had left the site, adding that workers were laid off because of lack of funds.

    Sunday urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to ensure the completion of the road which is expected to link the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    Commuters and motorists, he said, were having hard times because of the removal of asphalt from the road without provision of alternative routes.

    “Over 75 communities of Isawo, Oke Oko and Igbo Olomu were cut off from other parts of the state.

    “The floods have also caused loss of property, extended travel time, high transportation fare, paralysed economic activities since communities were often cut off for two to three days anytime it rains,” Sunday said.

    He hailed the government for embarking on the road pair and payment of compensation to landlords whose properties were demolished for the project.

  • Akeredolu holds town hall meetings with residents over 10-year blackout

    •Contractors commence works on transmission lines

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu yesterday held a town hall meeting with residents of South Senatorial District over a 10-year blackout in the area.

    The two-part meeting, which was part of efforts to end the blackout, first held at the Williams Hall in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area.

    It later moved to Okitipupa, where the governor met with the residents and the contractors handling electricity project.

    At Igbokoda, various groups, including youths, women and community leaders, spoke about the hardship they had been experiencing due to the prolonged blackout.

    The Executive Director of Engineering and Technical Services in Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPC), Ife Oyedele, lauded the efforts of the Federal Government and Akeredolu, which he said resulted in mobilising the contractors to site.

    The people unanimously urged the governor to help them restore power supply to their communities.

    They regretted the eight years of neglect by the previous administration, saying this informed their determination to stage peaceful protests until their requests were met.

    Akeredolu, who addressed a group of protesting youths at the venue, said his administration was determined to ensure that the power supply problems of the area were resolved.

    The governor allayed the fears of the youths, urging the people to cooperate with the contractors handling the electrification projects.

    He said: “Let me appeal to the youths. I appreciate your concerns because they are genuine. But I come to you with genuine intention to put a permanent end to the blackout. I beg our fathers to appeal to the youths to let the contractors do their job and ensure that the timeline for the project is maintained.”

    Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi described the meeting as a unique opportunity to end the more than 10 years of suffering of the people.

    He urged the residents to cooperate with the contractors.

    The projects were among the three-layer intervention of the Akeredolu administration, which includes solar stands for homes and national grid extension by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

    At Aboto, where the governor mounted a solar stand, he urged the residents to protect it and maximise its use for their power consumption.