The three-storey building that collapsed at Challenge, Mushin area of Lagos State despite claiming one life, is still leaving the survivors groaning under another yoke: despondency. Its former residents are destitute.
Erstwhile residents of a three storey building at 353 Challenge Road, Mushin, Lagos, which collapsed on Tuesday, are still grappling with survival as they have been reduced to destitutes.
When Saturday Mirror visited the site of the collapsed building, their properties were seen stuck in the rubbles. Speaking with Saturday Mirror, a victim of the tragedy narrated how the building collapsed like a pack of cards, on her baby.
“Most of us were not at home when the house collapsed. I was in the church when my husband called to inform me. He had closed from his work, brought our son home and left for my shop. My son, Uzor, who is two and a half years old, was inside the building when it collapsed.
It was a miracle that he survived the tragedy with only a broken hand. He is now receiving treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). My husband has called to inform me that he is responding to treatment. I am very grateful to God that he survived,” Mrs. Tina Duru said. For the Durus, it was a double tragedy.
“It is not long we paid for this apartment in the building that collapsed. Precisely, we moved in two months ago. The agent that linked us to the house played us 419.
After we paid him, he ran away without remitting the money to the owner of the apartment. When we approached the landlord, he asked us to pay another rent which we did. We have barely enjoyed the house when this misfortune befell us.
We are now destitute,” Duru lamented. She said that though the building was old, it was fairly strong enough to command confidence from the residents. Hence, they had no inclination of an impending collapse.
“I think it is an old building. Even then, it was very strong. It was not shaking to suggest that it might collapse anytime. If it were, most of us would not have risked our lives living in it.
We are therefore surprised that it is when people were not even exerting weight on it that it decided to come down. On how she has been coping without a house, she said that they have been reduced to squatters.
“Since my husband has been in the hospital with our son who sustained injuries from the collapsed building, I have been squatting with a neighbour. But how long would I inconvenience her family, I don’t know.
As you can see, all our property is under the rubbles of the collapsed building. We are waiting to see if we can salvage anything from there. Our fridges, televisions, and other electronics are all gone. I doubt if they would still work. We need help as we have no place we can call our own to lay our head. Getting money for another apartment now is just like a mountain before us,” she lamented.
As you are reading this story, Obioma Adikure is about to wed. Regrettably, his suits and other wedding appurtenances are trapped under the rubbles of the collapsed building.
“My brothers were living in the building that crumbled. Some of them are receiving treatment at the hospital. One of my sisters, Chinasom, sustained serious injuries. She had a deep cut on the head and lost her daughter in the collapse. We have not been able to recover the body. The baby’s name is Naomi. I have been keeping some of my property with them.
I would be wedding on Saturday (today). Till now, I cannot find my wedding materials and other stuffs that I am supposed to use on Saturday (today) as they are trapped under the rubbles of the building.
I think they are already damaged,” Obioma Adikure, who was helping himself out with fresh groundnut, grieved. Asked if he intends to go ahead with the wedding and his contingency plans, he said that, “By the Grace of God, I will go ahead with the wedding. I have been calling on friends and families for help. Invitation cards have been sent out already.
I don’t want to cancel it.” The collapsed structure has affected the buildings close to it as a four storey building has been marked for demolition, and its occupants asked to quit, compounding the problems of the residents of the area.
Lamenting their precarious condition, a resident of the building marked for demolition due to the collapsed building that took the life of a 12-month-old baby, Sunday Amaoku said that he and his family are stranded. “Since that building collapsed, we have not been able to sleep.
You can see me standing here with my luggage, wife and son. We are stranded here. My family and I have been passing the night outside since Tuesday. If not for the economic condition of the country, I would not have rented a house around this area. And now, they have added more to my burden.
The government said that our own building would be demolished and we have been asked to leave. It is not easy to rent house in this Lagos. Our rent is still running. I spent a lot renting this apartment and now how do I start sourcing for another when there is no saving towards that yet?
We are struggling to eat and did not budget for all these problems that suddenly cropped up. The government can be of help to us that is why there is government. I hope that the governor would come to our aid else we would be beaten by rain and sun. If it is just me, I would not be so bothered but my wife and son are involved and it pains me so much seeing them living this way.
There is no hope for me now except somebody or government would help. I don’t have money and am stranded,” Amaoku said.
Continuing, he said, “I thank God that my wife and child are alive and health, even though my son had some scratches.” Also speaking, Amaoku pleaded for help: “My baby needs help. We need help. We’ve been in this sun since Tuesday. As you can see, I am about eating. Since morning, I have not eaten and I have a baby to breast feed”.
Read more: xclusivetalk.blogspot.com
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment