The Avoidable Akwa Ibom Deaths And A President’s Gaffe -By Olunubi Tayeloluọbaọmọ

The collapsed church in Akwa Ibom State

“We only lost one person in the hospital except those that were brought dead. In circumstances like this, we have been overwhelmed. We need help from government. Many victims are in private hospitals and mortuaries scattered all over Uyo metropolis; we can’t really tell how many people have died so far. We have over 200 persons in the mortuaries. We do not have space as people are still being brought in. We have done our best to revive some victims. Right now, we have over 50 cases we are attending to. This is the first time we are witnessing such an incident.”

~ CMD, Uni Uyo Teaching Hospital.

First, I commiserate with all Ibomites on the tragic loss of over 200 souls needlessly. May their souls rest in peace.

Now, I know this sad event shall be treated in the usual Nigerian way. Talk, mourn, issue press statements, make some promises and on, we move again as if nothing serious has befallen a nation.

Thank God, the president responded timely on this. Perhaps because a VIP was involved. But sadly, the president’s message was off the point! He presented his message as if the dead souls were less important to the VIP governor’s. This official posture is a tragedy for the nation. This way, we won’t learn any lessons nor act to avoid future occurrence of this sort.

Every Nigerian life counts and none is more important than the other. Garba Shehu began the president’s message with “congratulations” to the governor and his wife for escaping death and thereafter stated the president’s sadness about the loss of the hundreds of souls.

Those who manage the public communication of this president aren’t doing him any good. They need to repent!

An emergency does not tell people how and when it will come – that’s why it is called an EMERGENCY. That’s why it must be prepared for. Nigerian governments do not prepare for emergencies. Lagos State is the only government in Nigeria that can boast of near-standard emergency facilities. Other governments are still operating in the stone age, showcasing rickety tow vehicles and drugless clinics as emergency facilities.

The infamous September 11 attacks would have recorded more deaths had the American government not equipped its agencies with modern facilities. Akwa Ibom State has enough resources to birth a world class rescue facility that can serve the state and its neighbors. Lagos has done that to Ogun State on many occasions.

There are government agencies responsible for building and construction regulations and control. But because somebody undertaking a project is connected to someone in political office, such people arm-twist government officials who are themselves bribe takers. Sadly, the religious houses are involved in this cutting of corners. This unhealthy disobedience of rules has further thrown the developmental prospects of this country into the abyss. Had the government officials done their work as it should be, perhaps the state would have avoided this needless pain and loss. The Lagos State government had to stamp its authority to bring erring officials to book before it was able to achieve sanity on issues that relate to the protection of lives and property.

Former Governor Godswill Akpabio claimed to have built a world class medical center for the use of Akwa Ibom people. No mention of that facility was made in this rescue mission. Yet, billions of naira were sunk into that project. This has got to show that the political office holders in Nigeria undertake projects principally for what’s in it for them and not for the functionality or the sustainability of such. The Ogun State governor is doing that currently, littering his home state with several uncompleted and unutilized public projects.

I think it is high time that power players in Nigeria take governance issues seriously, for they cannot tell when and how they will be involved. We lost the vibrant Minister Ocholi and two of his family members to a ghastly accident about this time last year. He never knew he would die that way. It is doubtful if all tiers of government have taken seriously to address the bad roads that have caused the deaths of many other Nigerians since then.

Governor Emmanuel Udom would probably be a close friend of the bishop that was to be ordained when the unfortunate incident occurred. He must have passed by that project several times and had no thoughts on ensuring that a quality job is done, knowing full well that he would be attending a service there. It’s even possible that the contractor and client might have jettisoned all standard procedures because of the bishop’s closeness to the governor. Now, see how providence has made it happen.

Ori i bá mọ ibusun, i bá á tun bẹ̀ ṣe. If only a mortal has knowledge of its resting place, it will care for it.