From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
Ebonyi State Government has given succour to families of victims of a structure that collapsed recently in a market at Governor David Umahi’s hometown, Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area.
The government said the money was a form of palliative to help in cushioning their losses.
Windstorm destroyed a building at Eke Aja Market, Uburu, in the evening of May 13, 2022, killing two persons on the spot, while some others sustained injuries. On the whole, no fewer than four persons died in the incident, with two others dying as they were being taken to the hospital.
Families of those who lost their lives received the sum of N3 million each through their next of kin, while those who sustained injuries received N2m each.
Umahi, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, during the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries at Obiozara, the council headquarters, said the incident was unfortunate.
“We are here today to empathize with the victims of the unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of four persons while three persons are receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakalilki. It is our prayer that it will not happen again in any part of Ebonyi State. Once in a while, we find ourselves in an inexplicable circumstance but we should see it as an act of God which no man can control,” the governor said.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the money to cushion the effects of the unfortunate incident.
According to the Secretary to Ebonyi State Government, Dr Kenneth Ugbala, the funds were approved out of Umahi’s magnanimity after deliberations in the Executive Council.
Ugbala urged the affected families to put behind their sorrows, assuring that government will always stand by them at all times.
One of those affected in the incident is a 15-year-old girl, Miss Elizabeth Enyi, who sustained spinal cord injury.
Sources in the town told us that some of the people who died had been buried.
Mrs. Margaret Uchenna, 30, from Umuoji Eweze Uburu was among those who lost their lives in the incident.
The mother of six had gone to the market that evening to buy food items when the tragedy struck.
Her husband, Uchenna Ogbonnaya, when our correspondent visited the family compound in Uburu said his beloved wife’s death has ruined his life. He said she was not only very industrious but a pillar of support in the family.
“That day she went to the market as usual, we were expecting her home so that the preparation for dinner would commence.
“Suddenly we started hearing that one building in the market had fallen and that some people were trapped. I rushed to the market only to find out that my wife was among the victims,” Ogbonnaya lamented.
Another deceased was 12-year-old Miss Faith Ogbonnaya from Mgbom-Enu in the neighbouring Okposi community but resident in Uburu with her parents.
Her traumatized father, Ogbonnaya Ajah, 46, is a domestic staff to the Chief Judge of the state, Elvis Ngene, who hails from Uburu.
Ajah narrated: “That day was on Friday, she came back from school and said they were asked to return because one of their teachers died. So, she played football with the younger brother and shortly after she slept and when she woke up, she told me that she wanted to go to Eke Ajah Market to buy something she would use to cook that evening. She asked me for money and I gave her.
“So, I was surprised when some people came to my house that evening with motorcycle, and told me that I should come to Eke Ajah that my daughter was hit by collapsed building.
“I joined them to Eke and when I got there, I saw my daughter lying motionless. We took her to the hospital and she was confirmed dead.”
A survivor of the incident, Esther Eze, said she was in the market selling soup ingredients when the windstorm started.
The 62-year-old woman from Umuchima Enuegu, Uburu, recounted: “My shed was very close to the building. When the windstorm came, I was struggling to gather my ogboo and egusi together, before I could know what was happening, the building collapsed on me and cut my toe. It also dislocated my leg.
“I was taken to the New Jerusalem Hospital here in Uburu and later to Okposi for treatment.
“I thank God that I am alive to tell the story but, unfortunately, many were not so lucky, including one pregnant woman who died.”
Also, Mrs. Patience Odii, elder sister to the teenage girl whose spinal cord was damaged in the incident, told our correspondent in their family compound that N6 million was needed for the treatment of her sister.
She had some weeks ago deplored the manner the leadership of the community as well as representatives of the government abandoned the family since the incident, which paralysed her younger sister.
“We had finished what we went to buy and were about going home when the roof of the market building collapsed and hit my younger sister. She fell on the ground, we thought she had died but when we got to the hospital, they said she was alive.
“But it broke her spinal cord. We had taken her to a hospital here in Uburu but they couldn’t handle it. We moved to Enugu and back to Abakaliki. The hospital is asking for N6 million to enable them treat her but we don’t have the money.
“The two coordinators of development centres in Uburu have visited us, we told them about the N6 million, but they said they would get back to us. Yet we have not seen them,” Odii said.
Our investigation showed that Enyi actually comes from a poor home, having dropped out of Uburu Community Secondary School in JSS2 due to financial constraints.
“The girl in question is from a very poor family; her father is late, though the mother is still alive.
“They said she is currently at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, receiving treatment and waiting for when N6 million meant for the operation could be raised,” a source in the community said.
Daily Sun was told that the Ohaozara West Development Centre coordinator, Peter Akpa, released N150,000 to the family for examination of the patient in Memphis Hospital, Enugu.
The amount was not only paltry but a far cry from the amount required for the treatment as it could not even take care of the tests and other investigations.
However, we could not ascertain the current state of the young girl with spinal cord injury after the state government’s palliative.