|
|
BURNT,
DEPRIVED AND ABANDONED
- IGNOBLE
ROLES BY EDO GOVERNMENT
This is the first time, in the history of Edo State, that catastrophic
incidence of this magnitude would occur. And the Lucky Igbinedion
government has an unenviable record of hosting the explosion,
generally regarded as one of the most severe single tragedies
in the history of Nigeria. Unfortunately, Governor Igbinedion
has not lived up to his primary responsibility as the number one
citizen of the state, whose government should administer care
and relief to its citizenry in times of tragedies such as this.
Ten
days after the initial outbreak of the explosions, the Edo State
Government was hesitant at prompt response to the needs of the
victims. For this, it was widely criticized for abandoning the
victims to humanitarian groups like SAVAN, the Red Cross Society
et al. The Guardian editorial of February 20, 2001 was vociferous
at criticizing the government. Same with the Nigerian Observer,
an Edo State owned newspaper which ten days into the explosions,
commented bitterly in its editorial titled: The Benin Kerosene
Fire Disasters - (Thursday January 25, 2001). According to the
newspaper, "…the situation, therefore, calls for immediate
action on the part of the state government, to check the spate
of deaths and injuries resulting from kerosene explosion".
- MEDICAL
TREATMENT OF VICTIMS
Edo State Government pledged free medical treatment, feeding and
accommodation to victims, who at that time (2001), flooded hospitals
and clinics in the state. But government had named the University
of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and Central Hospital, both located
in Benin, as the only two (out of the lots) designated to treat
the victims. Beside the fact that the two hospitals are distant
from most locations of the incidents, the enormous number of victims
far more exceeded the hospitals' carrying capacities. The victims
did not get the desired medical attention at the designated hospitals,
because of the epileptic infrastructures and low morale among
their medical personnel. Therefore, many of the victims could
not conclude their treatments, as they were forcibly ejected from
the hospitals. So many more died as a result of this.
- GOVERNMENT
DECEIVES THE VICTIMS AND THE CONCERNED PUBLIC
Governor
Igbinedion kept the public more puzzled about the medical status
of the victims, following his utterances or afterthought that
the Edo Government was going to set up a committee to give all
the victims plastic surgery abroad - (The Vanguard, August 7,
2003), when, the same Honorable Executive Governor had said, nine
(9) months earlier, in a letter dated 25th November, 2002 - Ref:
SG.122/236, signed by his secretary, Matt Aikhionbare, that: "Edo
Government had extended free medical service, including various
level of plastic surgery to all the victims", giving a deceitful
impression that the victims had all undergone plastic surgery.
- DIVERSION
OF DRUGS DONATION
Although Governor Igbinedion pledged the willingness of his government
to give free treatment to the victims, and had repeatedly announced
that it was so doing, most of the victims were not treated free-of-charge,
after all. They (the victims) paid nearly all their medical bills,
while many donated drugs were, allegedly, sold to pharmacies and
patent medicine stores by people suspected to be agents of the
government.
- SEIZURE
OF MONETARY DONATION
Like the donated drugs, charitable monies meant for the upkeep
of the victims, which it (Edo Government) received as a trustee,
had developed wings. And after a 'hide and seek', Governor Igbinedion,
belatedly, told a startled public that a paltry N15.3 million
(US$109,000) was all that he received from sister governments,
institutions, individuals and other donors. Laughably, the same
governor meticulously "accounted" for the money as having
been trapped in a distressed bank. The rationale for lodgment
of such humanitarian monies in a failed bank by the government
became suspect, given the usual practice that it (government)
could not have by-passed the New Nigeria Bank Limited, its designate
and self-owned bank, and some other viable banks which abound
in the state.
Sadly,
also, if only for the sake of transparency and accountability,
the Edo State Government has turned down persistent public entreaties
to publish the actual amount of donations it received and how
it had been applied. This, undoubtedly, is the standard practice
the world over, and as had been done, for example, by Lagos and
Delta states, under similar circumstances. Unlike Edo, both states
and several others had also given free medical treatment and rehabilitated
their own victims from their Emergency Disaster and Relief Funds.
- KILLING
THE REPORT OF THE WILSON COMMISSION
In the wake of the explosions, Edo State Government, prodded by
stakeholders, set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the
incidents. Headed by the Justice (Mrs.) Atinuke Akomolafe Wilson,
a serving judge in the state, the Commission, because of the urgency
the issue deserved, worked assiduously to turn out its report
within a short time.
Whereas
the commission's report is deemed as a sensitive issue that would
unveil its facts and details, hence of high public interest, Edo
State Government has since swept its findings under the carpet.
A mere press statement (half page of a sheet) was all the government
could release as its "white paper". By and large, this
action had been considered strange to laid down civil norms. Unexpectedly,
the said press statement was concocted in bureaucratic language,
and in ambiguity, thus portraying the Edo government as partial.
The government exonerated NNPC and at the same time held it liable.
Reacting
to the state government's doubletalk in its editorial of Friday
December 20, 2002, The Punch Newspaper bemoans: "We do not
consider it sufficient for the Edo State Government's white paper
to have declared the NNPC and some petroleum marketers 'vicariously
liable', only for it to constitute a committee that will go cap-in-hand
to solicit for these culprits' donations".
- DOING
THE ODD JOB FOR NNPC
Edo State Government has been widely condemned for shielding NNPC
over its culpable neglect of the victims. This may have been proven
by the rift between it (government) and the ten-man Wilson Commission.
Members of the Commission have been denied their sitting allowances
for refusal to doctor the report in favor of the NNPC, with agents
of the government acting the go-between. This also seemed to have
been expressed by the aforesaid editorial of The Punch Newspaper:
"If the evidence convincingly indicted the culprits, then
the state government should demand restitution and formal apologies
from indicted firms".
- EDO
GOVERNMENT FRUSTRATES THE VICTIMS' AGITATIONS
Governor Igbinedion, on many instances did not keep his pledges
to the victims, one of which, however, is contained in a petition
dated 7th May, 2003 to President Obasanjo. It stated that the
Government reneged on its promise to "constitute a 'high
power committee' to source for funds from NNPC/PPMC, and major
and minor marketer of petroleum products" for the victims.
Few months after this, Governor Igbinedion, instead, had organized
the same marketers for a fundraising to aid his re-election as
Edo governor. Knowing the implication of a statutory body for
the victims' effective advocacy of their objectives, which of
course is the victims' reason for filing an application to register
The Kerosene Fire Victims Welfare Association (KEVA), the Edo
State Ministry of Youth and Sports, through a letter dated 18th
December, 2002 and signed by one O.V. Obagiagie, for its Commissioner,
had on flimsy excuses, thrown out the application.
|
|
