The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Victims

  • Succour for rape victims

    Succour for rape victims

    In Nigeria like in some other parts of the world, rape and child abuses are on the rise. A recent survey by a NOI Polls, Nigeria revealed that three in 10 Nigerians admitted knowing a rape victim.  Many of victims are left with bruises and scars that they have to live with for life.

     

    As part of global efforts give the victims succor and help them come out of the traumatic situation, MediaCon, a Non Governmental Organisation with interest on women and children in Nigeria, has an initiative called the Crisis Respond Programme through which it provides emergency and crisis attention to rape victims and other child abuse cases.

     

    Established since 2005, MediacCon is comprised of highly trained professionals who work tirelessly to ensure that victims and families are attended promptly and adequately.

     

    Founder of the NGO, Princess Olufemi Kayode outlined a number of services the organisation offers in a bid to care for these victims.

     

    First of such services is the Victim Advocate – through this,  victims and families are linked up to access medical, legal and other psychosocial needs. “We provide support, care counseling for victims, families and friends and ensure victims / survivors get optimum care right from the moment of reporting and monitoring the case during litigation working in partnership with professionals in criminal justice system and other important stakeholders.

     

    ‘We stand by the victims and family through the process while providing necessary information and going all the way with them from the moment of reporting the case. The Victim Advocates have worked with over 350 victims and families since 2005 supporting them all the way, explaining each step and providing comfort and reducing re-traumatization of victims and families/guardians,” Kayode explained.

     

    The NGO also has a 24 hours and seven days a week confidential help lines where calls are made to report cases of child sexual abuse, rape and suspicion. “Confidential counseling is also provided on these lines and face-to-face. The lines work at national and international level. Referrals are also made available to calls of enquiries on prevention and other sexuality issues and SMS are attended to and receive response,” she added.

     

    With over 200,000 individuals attended to since inception, the founder says, “total number of sexual violence cases reported last year was 1,898 making it the highest ever recorded in a year. Calls came from different states within Nigeria and abroad. Reports of sexual violence were higher than other forms over 75 per cent. Helplines received request for prevention information. Others calls include health, riot, armed robbery, commendation, partnership request, inquiry if line is working, threat to life, widow victimization, abandonment, rent, financial support, conflict, assault and child custody related matters.”

     

    Another service provided by the NGO is the Trauma Management Counseling to help deal with the experience and avoid further stress and trauma to victims. According to Kayode,  so far over 250 survivors of rape have accessed this service through during one-on-one contact,   phone and social media like Facebook,  online (skype, whats app) and email.

    The NGO also provides Post Emergency Prophylaxis (PEP) within the first 72 hours of rape to prevent HIV, Access to adequate and timely medical services such as Emergency Contraceptives (EC) to prevent unwanted pregnancy within 72 hrs, other Vaccination against Hepatitis B, and treatment for other Sexually Transmitted Infections.

     

    Victims are also supported in the area of litigation.  “Referral for legal assistance – Since matter is criminal, we petition the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) on behalf of victims to prosecute matters. Currently, we are working on 22 matters with this department. We have also recorded three convictions. Overall over 50 cases,” the founder said.

     

    Psychosocial support for victims and their families include relocation of family and victim, accessing Emergency Protection Order for State Protective Custody, support for education – tuition fees and provision of school uniforms etc. The organisation also takes care of the feeding, clothing, skill acquisition, transportation to court and payment of medical bills of victims.

     

    A major aspect of the organisations’ quest to provide assistance, particularly to cases of child abuses is the Forensic interviewing, which is the first step in most child protective services (CPS) investigations. “This was newly introduced in 2011 at a pilot scale and working with the Police we were able to attend to about 20 victims and accused perpetrators. The comprehensive facility is to be concluded by August and another phase of the piloting will kick off and we are hopeful that this will assist traditional investigation of these cases,” Kayode stated.

    SUCCOUR FOR RAPE VICTIMS

     

    By Justice Ilevbare

    In Nigeria like in some other parts of the world, rape and child abuses are on the rise. A recent survey by a NOI Polls, Nigeria revealed that three in 10 Nigerians admitted knowing a rape victim.  Many of victims are left with bruises and scars that they have to live with for life.

     

    As part of global efforts give the victims succor and help them come out of the traumatic situation, MediaCon, a Non Governmental Organisation with interest on women and children in Nigeria, has an initiative called the Crisis Respond Programme through which it provides emergency and crisis attention to rape victims and other child abuse cases.

     

    Established since 2005, MediacCon is comprised of highly trained professionals who work tirelessly to ensure that victims and families are attended promptly and adequately.

     

    Founder of the NGO, Princess Olufemi Kayode outlined a number of services the organisation offers in a bid to care for these victims.

     

    First of such services is the Victim Advocate – through this,  victims and families are linked up to access medical, legal and other psychosocial needs. “We provide support, care counseling for victims, families and friends and ensure victims / survivors get optimum care right from the moment of reporting and monitoring the case during litigation working in partnership with professionals in criminal justice system and other important stakeholders.

     

    ‘We stand by the victims and family through the process while providing necessary information and going all the way with them from the moment of reporting the case. The Victim Advocates have worked with over 350 victims and families since 2005 supporting them all the way, explaining each step and providing comfort and reducing re-traumatization of victims and families/guardians,” Kayode explained.

     

    The NGO also has a 24 hours and seven days a week confidential help lines where calls are made to report cases of child sexual abuse, rape and suspicion. “Confidential counseling is also provided on these lines and face-to-face. The lines work at national and international level. Referrals are also made available to calls of enquiries on prevention and other sexuality issues and SMS are attended to and receive response,” she added.

     

    With over 200,000 individuals attended to since inception, the founder says, “total number of sexual violence cases reported last year was 1,898 making it the highest ever recorded in a year. Calls came from different states within Nigeria and abroad. Reports of sexual violence were higher than other forms over 75 per cent. Helplines received request for prevention information. Others calls include health, riot, armed robbery, commendation, partnership request, inquiry if line is working, threat to life, widow victimization, abandonment, rent, financial support, conflict, assault and child custody related matters.”

     

    Another service provided by the NGO is the Trauma Management Counseling to help deal with the experience and avoid further stress and trauma to victims. According to Kayode,  so far over 250 survivors of rape have accessed this service through during one-on-one contact,   phone and social media like Facebook,  online (skype, whats app) and email.

    The NGO also provides Post Emergency Prophylaxis (PEP) within the first 72 hours of rape to prevent HIV, Access to adequate and timely medical services such as Emergency Contraceptives (EC) to prevent unwanted pregnancy within 72 hrs, other Vaccination against Hepatitis B, and treatment for other Sexually Transmitted Infections.

     

    Victims are also supported in the area of litigation.  “Referral for legal assistance – Since matter is criminal, we petition the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) on behalf of victims to prosecute matters. Currently, we are working on 22 matters with this department. We have also recorded three convictions. Overall over 50 cases,” the founder said.

     

    Psychosocial support for victims and their families include relocation of family and victim, accessing Emergency Protection Order for State Protective Custody, support for education – tuition fees and provision of school uniforms etc. The organisation also takes care of the feeding, clothing, skill acquisition, transportation to court and payment of medical bills of victims.

     

    A major aspect of the organisations’ quest to provide assistance, particularly to cases of child abuses is the Forensic interviewing, which is the first step in most child protective services (CPS) investigations. “This was newly introduced in 2011 at a pilot scale and working with the Police we were able to attend to about 20 victims and accused perpetrators. The comprehensive facility is to be concluded by August and another phase of the piloting will kick off and we are hopeful that this will assist traditional investigation of these cases,” Kayode stated.

  • Tears, protest as Lagos remembers crash victims

    Tears, protest as Lagos remembers crash victims

    Some hid their teary eyes under dark sunshades; some isolated themselves, preferring to deal with their grief privately. There were no fanfares, no jamboree of any sort.

    Time was 9am. Venue was the site of the Dana Air plane crash in Iju- Ishaga, a Lagos suburb. Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the crash.

    Those who may have long visited Popoola and Olaniyi and the adjourning streets around the crash site may not recognise it. Gone were the heaps of rubbish and burnt debris which formerly constituted a sore on the site. Instead the crash site has been cleared and interlocking stones have been laid on the ground. In the centre of the crash site stood a cenotaph, a magnificent three steps tower. It was built in replica of an airport control tower. On top of it was a plane which looked as if it had broken in the middle: it denotes a crashed plane. Some meters away stood a tomb block with the names of all 157 victims written on it, the block looked strong and defiant.

    By 9:25, more than 155 wreaths had been laid at the site. Each wreath represented a lost beloved, delivered by a heartbroken relative or friend. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola arrived at 10:20 am accompanied by his wife, Abimbola. He was dressed in a black suit and his wife also wore a dark gown. They made for the canopy which had been prepared for dignitaries and relatives of the victims.

    When the service began at 10:35, thousands of people had gathered with many trying unsuccessfully to gain entry into the “Iju-Ishaga Memorial Arcade.” Security was tight and the police assisted by some members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) ensured nobody stepped out of line. Local urchins also appeared to have respected the spirits of the dead as they gathered on a side to watch the events from afar.

    Outside the arcade, a protest was underway. Aggrieved persons carried placards with different inscriptions asking Dana Air for compensation. These were the ground victims. They have lost houses and other valuables. Some of them had rented rooms in affected homes and have lost personal belongings.

    Chairman, Akande Development Association, Chief Adewale Oriowo, who spoke on behalf of the ground victims during the unveiling of the cenotaph, said the Federal Government and Dana have not supported them.

    He said: “We are not happy with the fact that they are operating their business and people whose lives have been destroyed by the crash have not been compensated. They have displaced and destroyed our people in the community.”

    A pin drop silence descended on the arcade as Fashola began to deliver his speech at 11:14 am. Though everyone expected his speech to be sober, many were nevertheless blown away by the almost celestial content of his thoughts. It was perhaps his most profound speech yet as he painted in unbelievable details the tragedy and the emotions that resulted from it.

    “Exactly one year ago, we were all crest fallen in this state,” Fashola began. It was easy to see through his pain as he discarded the airs and arrogance often associated with the powerful and adorned the humanity of people around him. It was a slow and painful speech.

    “I remember that I have promised myself to rest a little that afternoon and prepare for a new week. Just like many of you, I remember where I was…when day broke that fateful Sunday the 3rd of June 2012, no one could have predicted what sad and painful thoughts would accompany us to bed that night,” the governor said to his stoic audience.

    He admitted words may never be sufficient to sooth their pains. “What does one say at a time like this? What does one say when words will never be enough? Many of us cannot even begin to imagine how great your suffering must have been this last one year.”

    Fashola promised that the state government would continue to stand by the families of the deceased to reduce their burdens.

    He urged stakeholders in the aviation industry to learn some lessons from the accident and use them to avert a recurrence.

    “The essence is to keep proper records and a reference material for emergency management in the state,” he said.

    Commissioner for Special Duties Dr Wale Ahmed said the government provided after-crash management support, including identification of the victims through DNA analysis.

    He added that families of the victims were assisted in the burial arrangements.

    “All the names of the 157 victims were engraved on the cenotaph as part of efforts to immortalise them,” he said.

    Ms. Oduah said the government was discussing with the management of DANA Air to ensure payment of full compensations to victims’ families.

    The senator representing Lagos East senatorial district, Gbenga Ashafa, laid a wreath at the crash site.

    He told reporters: “The incident that occurred a year ago on this site is really unfortunate and disheartening. There is no amount of compensation that can bring the dead back to live. I want to use this medium to appeal to all the families affected that God almighty will give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

    At 12:33 pm, the governor unveiled the cenotaph. “This cenotaph which we are unveiling here today will ensure that their memories never die. This monument will stand as a permanent memorial to these family men, women and children; and we will cherish each of their stories-stories of potential and of fulfillment, stories of true heroes,” Fashola said.

    When he was done, prayers were held for the repose of the souls departed. By then, the tears were gone and it was evident an event that began on such glum note had assumed a more cheerful and inspirational ending.

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Mr George Afam, and some other government officials laid wreaths on the cenotaph in memory of the victims. Afam represented the Minister of Aviation Ms. Stella Oduah.

     

  • One year after, Dana Air yet to compensate victims

    •Residents plan candlelight procession to mark event

     

    About a year after its McDonnel Douglass 83 aircraft crashed into residential buildings in Iju Ishaga area of Lagos State, killing 153 passengers on board, DANA Air said yesterday that the inability to give the mandatory $100,000 to the victims of the crashed aircraft is predicated on incomplete documentation, multiple claims, challenge in securing grant of probate/ letter of guardianship and legal suits by 65 families.

    The airline at a briefing yesterday, however, said its insurers, Lloyds of London and the local underwriter, Prestige Assurance, are sparing no efforts in processing all claims in accordance with the law.

    At the briefing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, to commemorate the one year anniversary of the June 3, 2012 crash, spokesman for DANA Air, Mr. Tony Usidamen, said insurers of the airline have made progress in the payment of compensations.

    He said as at May 24, 95 of the 125 families, who have completed claim forms have received interim compensations of $30,000, following a legal verification of the documentation and next of kin status.

    He said 11 families have received full compensation of $100,000, while 21 others whose grant of probate has just come through, would be paid full payment shortly, upon execution of release.

    Usidamen said: “Delay in completion of the payment process is due to incomplete documentation, multiple claims cases and challenge in securing grant of probate/letter of guardianship. This is the case of minors and legal suits.

    “Our insurers are, however, sparing no efforts in processing all claims in accordance with the law.

    Progress is also being made in the compensation of ground victims and negotiations are ongoing with the affected residents to settle genuine claims within the shortest time.”

    He also attributed the delay in settling the ground victims to the issues bordering on disagreement between their legal representatives and the insurers of DANA Air that are yet to reach a common position on the exact regime and amount for compensation.

    Usidamen said in the event of not reaching a common ground on the regime of compensation, only the court of law would determine the matter for families that opted to go to court.

    He noted that about eight families have not come up for the documentation of the victims, to file for claims, adding that some may have taken this decision on cultural grounds, because the money may not mean anything to them compared to the loss of the lives of their family members.

    Mr. Usidamen said the airline has been collaborating with the community development association to assess the needs of the residents of Iju Ishaga on how to accelerate the speedy processing of compensation to the victims of the crash.

    He said the National Insurance Commission of Nigeria (NIACOM) has confirmed that the funds are in place for compensation, provided the families of the victims meet the conditions of documentation that would qualify them for payment.

    The DANA Air spokesman said in January when the airline began operations, only one family was fully paid the $100,000. But today, about 11 families have been paid, while another batch of 21 have finalised documentation to bring the number to 32 in the coming weeks.

    He further said about 95 families of the 125 that filed for claims have received the $30,000 compensation.

    Usidamen spoke of plans to collaborate with the insurers and relevant agencies to ensure that the victims on board and ground are fully paid in line with the regulations of the land.

    Said he: “We have not abandoned any family. We are reaching out to ensure that an agreement is reached for full payment to all victims.”

    As the one year anniversary of the Dana Air crash in which no fewer than 158 people died at Iju-Ishaga, a Lagos suburb, draws near, residents of the area have planned a candlelight procession to commemorate the event.

    The procession, according to one of the onground victims, Olatunji Lawal, would hold on June 2 on the site of the plane crash.

    He told The Nation that the residents, especially the onground victims, have been meeting to deliberate on the way forward.

    Olatunji, who said Dana Air was yet to contact them, appealed to the government to come to their aid.

    Lagos State Government has begun construction work on the site of the crash.

    A visit to Iju-Ishaga showed that a cenotaph was being erected on the site. Also construction work on Olaniyi and Okusanya streets are ongoing.

    The project architect, Mr. Ebenezer Odeyani from the Ministry of Works, said besides the cenotaph, interlocking tiles would be fixed on the ground.

    The residents, who spoke with The Nation, however, complained that they have been abandoned by governments at all levels as well as Dana Air.

    They urged their representatives at the federal and state levels to assist them.

    One of them, Pastor Adedinu, who said his church (Christ Apostolic Church, Praise and Prayer Chapel), was pulled down during President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the site, added that he had experienced hardship since the crash occurred.

     

     

     

     

  • Fadama, ADB donate relief materials to flood victims

    Fadama programme in conjunction with African Development Bank (ADB) has donated relief materials to 2,000 farmers affected by the 2012 flood in 10 local government areas of Katsina State.

    The items included 6,000 bags of fertiliser; 4,000 bags of improved seedlings; 3,000 litres of pesticides and 10 multi-purpose thrashers.

    The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Musa Adamu, who launched the distribution, said the gesture would complement the State and Federal Governments’ efforts in cushioning the damage caused by the flood.

    Adamu said 90 per cent of people engage in farming which attracted increased investment to the sector from the three tiers of government and agencies such as Fadama.

    He said the state government had rehabilitated 27 irrigation sites including three Federal Government site, and provided various assistance for both rainy and dry season farmers.

    He said the assistance involved inputs, loan schemes and extension worker services.

    Alhaji Bala Shu’aibu, who represented the National Fadama Programme Coordinator, said 600 bags of fertiliser were allocated to each affected local government where 300 bags would be distributed free.

    Shu’aibu said 300 bags would be sold at subsidised rate of N2, 000 per bag.

    He also said that 400 bags of improved seedlings and 300 litres of pesticides would be distributed free, while a thrasher would be installed in each of the affected local government areas.

    He said the affected local governments were; Faskari, Kafur, Rimi, Mani, Kankia, Kankara, Mai’aduwa, Baure, Kaita and Katsina, adding that 200 people would benefit in each of the affected areas.

    Alhaji Sani Danjari, the state Secretary, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), commended the state government for drilling wells at irrigation farms, reviving agricultural shows and other forms of support to farmers in the state.

    The Transition Committee Chairman of Kankara Local Government, Alhaji Abdulhadi Abdullahi, thanked Fadama for the support, which he said, was timely.

     

  • Mass burial for luxury bus victims

    Victims of the accident involving a luxury bus, fuel tanker and a trailer which occurred at Ugbogui village on the Benin-Lagos Road are to be given a mass burial tomorrow.

    The decision, according to investigation, was because of the inability of relatives to identify the bodies.

    A source at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) told The Nation that 70 bodies were deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.

    All the victims were burnt beyond recognition after the tanker exploded.

    In the accident, which happened last Friday at about 1pm, several shops, cars, motorcycles and property were burnt.

    Two brothers, aged three and four, whose names were given as Kesmond and Solomon, were burnt to death when the fire spread to their mother’s shop where they were sleeping.

    The UBTH management said it was not in the best interest of the hospital and its environment to continue to keep the bodies.

    A statement by its Public Relations Officer, Ms Kehinde Ibitoye, said the management was left with no option because the bodies were badly burnt and beyond recognition.

    Ms. Ibitoye said the management was yet to decide on the spot where the victims would be buried.

    A source at the university said 70 bodies were brought to the hospital, contrary to claims by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) that 36 persons died in the accident.

     

  • Our ordeal, by victims of Zaki-Biam invasion

    Sordid tales of the 2001 Zaki Biam, Benue State invasion by soldiers were relived yerterday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    Some victims told reporters what they went through in the soldiers’ hands, at a briefing on the court premises moderated by their lead counsel, Sobastine Hon (SAN).

    Andrew Juntu, 35, said his genitals were chopped off and acid poured inside his anus by the soldiers. He has no wife and children.

    He said his wife was spared by the soldiers because he lied that he was an Igbo man and not a Tiv. He could only pass urine through a tube inserted in his body.

    “Another woman also had her private part scraped off and her hands yanked off by the soldiers,” Hon said yesterday.

    Federal High Court ordered the Federal government to pay Zaki Biam N41.8 billion compensation following a suit filed by 14 of the victims. The government has yet to pay the judgment sum.

    The victims has rejected the government’s plea to pay N8 billion instead of the N41.8 billion judgment sum in order to settle the matter amicably. They are protesting that the state government cannot negotiate on their behalf.

    In an interview after the press briefing, Juntu said: “People came out to see the soldiers because we thought they were sent by the Feral Government to come and make peace. Immediately people came out, the soldiers attacked us. They poured petrol on some and burnt them alive while others were shot. We were about 80 people. They cut my private part, they cut my anus and put acid. They used knife to cut me and even shot my leg.

    “Since 2007 that we got the judgment, nothing has been done. We are hearing that they want to pay Benue Government N8 billion which we know nothing about. I don’t have money, I don’t have a child. If government compensates us, I can go to the hospital to treat myself. I’m a dead man, I can’t do anything; I can’t follow a woman, I can’t work. I can call myself a dead man. Actually, I’m a dead man. For 12 years, I can’t eat strong food. My food is tea and yoghurt. If I take anything strong, if I go to the toilet, you will see blood everywhere because the muscle is not strong and I don’t have money to go to the hospital. I’m dying in my house even to get food it takes time.”

    On how he has been treating himself, Juntu broke down in tears, saying: “Oh, my friend, I don’t want to cry. I’m a dead man because I’m rotting silently but I know God will hear my prayer and save me.

    “They killed all the people. I survived because I lied to them that I was an Ibo man. They killed all the Tivs because they said they were animals. This happened in 2001. Although I survived the attack, I’m a dead man alive. I have no wife or children.

    “Pointing to his manhood, they have killed me alive by cutting off my genital organ. I can’t marry or have children. I can’t even urinate like a normal man. I can only do this through the tube passed into my body.”

    Hon said the government and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) were yet to reply the letters sent to them on the victims’ plight.

    He said: “Over 14,000 people were directly affected by the genocide of 2001. Over 1000 of these were fatalities. Hundreds of women and children have been widowed and orphaned by the senseless killing spree of the trigger-happy men and officers of the Nigerian Army, who mowed down their husbands and fathers in cold blood!

    “I, therefore, respectfully call on the President as the father of the nation to direct all relevant agencies of the Federal Government to, as a matter of utmost urgency, satisfy to the hilt the judgment debt of N41.8 billion. This will not only right the wrongs of the Army, but also reassure the Tiv people that they are also bona fide Nigerians.”

    Mr. Isaac Aoughakaa, who came with his wife, Elizabeth, also recalled how soldiers killed two of his children and also chopped off his wife’s hands.

    “We had eight children by then but soldiers killed two in the attack on my family. They came in around 5:30 so we were inside our rooms. They came, surrounded the house and started shooting sporadically so my wife had to run out with the children to escape the onslaught. The soldiers ran after them and killed two of them and macheted my wife. In fact it was God that saved my life. I saw them killing my family but could not do anything than to escape; so, I ran away. They were pursuing me like a wild animal but God rescued me. We were in the hospital in Makurdi for six months before they discharged us.”

    Asked how his wife had been coping without hands, Mr. Aoughakaa, who fought back tears, said: “I’m the person feeding her. When she wants to bath, I bath her. When she wants to go to the toilet, I assist her. I do everything she needs to do with her hands for her”.

    Anongu Orngu, 45, farmer, went to the farm with his parents and that saved her life. Although he narrowly escaped death, his parents were killed. Orngu lost his limbs. Today, he has only two fingers left.

    “I have been at the mercy of sympathisers. I have three children but do not have any source of livelihood to train them. My children are at home; they can’t go to school. I was a hard working farmer before the invasion but see the pains they have caused me and my family”, he said.

    When the soldiers came, Peter Orngu, 30, a former student, was caught unawares.

    He said: “I tried to escape. They started shooting sporadically. Before the incident, I was a student of the Federal College of Education, Katsina-Ala. I could not complete my studies because of the disability I suffered from the attack. I rely on people around me and sympathisers. My mother became hypertensive because of my situation and died. My father had died before the invasion.”

    The Federal Government had earlier approached a Court of Appeal to reverse the high court order but withdrew the appeal and opted to settle out of court.

    Hon is accusing the government of insincerity on the out-of-court settlement bid because of its failure to sit at a roundtable with the victims to resolve the judgment debt.

    Wondering where the idea of N8 billion settlement came from, Hon said the losses incurred by the victims especially children whose parents and dependants were either killed or maimed cannot be quantified in any amount.

    He said: “Rather than comply with the terms of the judgment, the government asked for time to settle the matter out of court, which was obliged by my clients and other parties in the suit, who had no cause to doubt the sincerity of the government.

    “However, when my first letter reached the President and the eagle-eyed Nigeria press scooped it, media reports started springing up that the Federal Government had settled with the Benue State Government to pay the sum of N8 billion which will be full satisfaction of the judgment debt!

    “I hereby state categorically that whatever settlement the Federal Government and the Benue State have reached is not binding on my clients, who reject same without the slightest equivocation”.

    “My clients were neither consulted nor did they consent to the terms of that so-called settlement; hence reject it in its entirety. The intentions and actions of the Benue State Government, which we concede may have been for good purposes, are with respect not binding on my clients”.

  • Niger begins resettlement of flood victims

    Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has begun allocation of land to resettle the communities affected by last year’s flood, the agency’s Director-General, Alhaji Mohammed Shaba, has said.

    The resettlement, which began at the weekend, is being financed with the N400 million grant from the Federal Government.

    Shaba said 125 affected families at Daboji in Wushishi Local Government were allocated plots of land and given building materials.

    Speaking with reporters in Minna yesterday, the NSEMA boss said the 10 resettlement sites earmarked for the victims are being developed into layouts in compliance with the state urban renewal policy.

    The resettlement centres are sited at Bima and Yelwa in Lapai Local Government, Daboji village in Wushishi council, Mambe in Lavun Local Government, Jaagi in Mokwa council and Old Awuru in Borgu council.

    Other sites are located at Muregi village in Mokwa Local Government, Akkere in Wushishi Local Government, Fofo village in Katcha council and Allawa village in Shiroro Local Government.

    Alhaji Shaba said the resettlement started with 30 hectares cleared at Daboji village in Wushishi Local Government.

    According to him, “we have demarcated the plots and allocated same to 125 families. This cost the agency N6.5 million.

    “The beneficiaries are working on their plots at the resettlement areas, moulding their blocks, preparatory to building their houses. The agency will give them bags of cement and bundles of zinc.”

     

  • Flood victims seek help

    Some victims of the recent flood disaster in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State have appealed for help from government and other well-meaning Nigerians.

    The flood, which occurred five months ago, left most of the victims homeless and hungry.

    Investigation revealed that most of the victims now squat with relatives and friends while some returned to live in their ruined buildings and tents.

    Some victims who spoke with newsmen appealed for assistance from government and the wealthy in the society.

    They complained that they no longer have homes of their own, adding that with the current economic hardship, “we now live from hand to mouth”.

    They said that the promises made by the both Federal and the state government were yet to be fulfilled.

    Though they admitted that they had received some relief materials from governments,individuals and corporate organisations such as food stuff, the situation, they say, was still very challenging because they lost virtually everything.

    Mr. Saliu Rufai, a community leader in Ofukpo-Ekperi said they were yet to hear from the government as regards the promise to help rebuild their houses.

    Another community leader, Mr. Joseph Oshigbele of Osomeigbe community said that government only came to take statistics of the houses destroyed by the flood.

    According to community leaders, the hardship inflicted by the flood can only be understood better by anyone who visits the community to see things for himself.

    Rufai said: “As I speak with you, most of us are just struggling to resuscitate our farmland which was destroyed.

    “We have had to travel as far as Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area of the state to get farm inputs like cassava stems.This is part of what the government promised us and we are yet to get any of them.

    “This is planting season for yam and by May, we will be planting rice and we have not gotten any of these farm inputs from the government as promised”.

    Oshigbele said the people were worried with this development and called on the government to as a matter of urgency look into the promises made to the people. “All we have got is the team which came to evaluate our damaged houses and also the fumigation carried out immediately the flood receded.

    “Aside this, my people are expecting soft loans to enable them get fully back to their occupation, which is farming,” Oshigbele said.

  • Dana Air crash: ‘Only two families of victims are fully paid’

    ONLY two families of the victims of the crashed Dana Air have been paid the balance of $70, 000, Controller, Claims of the airline’s local insurer, Prestige Assurance Plc, Mrs Josephine Gbuji, has said.

    The payments were made based on the advice of the lawyers, Clyde & Co, who are represented by Yomi Oshikoya & Co.

    She said aviation insurance requires foreign backing to accommodate the magnitude of the losses, adding that local insurers lack the capacity to do so.

    Mrs. Gbuji told The Nation that her firm had paid the initial $30, 000 each to 81 families of Dana Air crash victims as at January 31, 2013.

    “We have paid every passenger’s family who has come forward and have been able to prove their title the initial amount of $30, 000. From my own record, we have paid 81 families out of the lot; two passenger’s families have been paid the balance of $70, 000.

    “This was after the two families got the letters of administration duly confirmed by the lawyers and they advised us on that,” she said.

    According to her, the lawyers are in charge because there are many issues involved in confirming who the bereaved representatives of the passengers are.

    She said the process was more rigorous for the balance of $70, 000, adding that the insurance company did not determine who collects what.

    “The lawyers have to be thorough because if they do not do it well, there will be law suits later and they too would be held liable,” she said.

    Mrs. Gbuji said nine families of beneficiaries, who were confirmed to them by the lawyers, got their cheques for $30, 000 on the 30th day after the crash happened, in conformity with international aviation laws, adding that the cheques were issued and sent to the lawyers who would disburse to the beneficiaries to ensure they got proper discharge.

    “We have our funds here. So, each time we have advice, we issue cheques to those cleared. The cheques are written exactly the way the lawyers instructed,” she said.

    However, an official of Yomi Oshikoya & Co, the representative law firm of Clyde & Co in Nigeria, said the lawyers were not disposed to discussing the issue with the press.

    According to her, the firm is dealing with the solicitors to the beneficiaries of the airline crash victims. She refused to talk on the fate of those affected on ground.

    This is because apart from the initial ‘hand outs’ to cushion the effect of their immediate losses, none of them has been paid any claim by the insurance firm.

     

  • Oke-Ogun fire victims seek help

    Victims of the January 10 fire in Oke Ogun, Oyo State, in which maize worth over N11 million was destroyed, have called on the state government for assistance.

    The fire razed 12 silos at the Owo River in Oje Owode, Saki East Local Government Area.

    The owner of the silos, Alhaji Mufutau Banire, yesterday urged Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Saki East Local Government Council to help him revive the business.

    The cause of the fire, which raged on for three days, is still unknown.

    The incident has rendered many Yoruba, Beninois and Togolese employees of the farm jobless.

    Banire said: “I am appealing to the state government to help rebuild my maize farm. The loss is unbearable and about 80 of my workers are now jobless. All the silos were destroyed before fire-fighters arrived.

    “Since we have a compassionate governor, I hope this harrowing condition will be mitigated, lest its effect leads to worse consequences.”

    He said a bag of maize, which cost N6,000 before the fire, now sells for N6,500 because of its shortage in the area.