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Oluchi Anekwe: Blood On PHCN's Hands At UNILAG By Segun O'Law

September 10, 2015

The high voltage cable that snapped off an electricity pole on the campus of University of Lagos (UNILAG) on September 8th, 2015, killing a female student was not serving electricity to the University, after all.

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The cables running through the University campus serve Onike community and environs, making the campus a mere utility passage -but without appropriate safety measures.

Prior to the tragedy of September 8th, the cable had been a subject of discomfort to students with series of reported spark fires, but only very little was done to prevent fatal risks. The University had called severally on the relevant distribution zone of the Power Holding Company of

Nigeria (PHCN) in Ikeja to correct the issue. However, the PHCN in their characteristic negligent attitude ignored complaints as well as a request to bury the cables underground. As a tradition, UNILAG lays its power cables beneath the ground, and the institution had called on PHCN severally to comply with this standard. However, and regrettably, no active response from the PHCN.

Until it became fatal, the threat of the high voltage cables dangling over the "New Hall" bus stop was not contained. As an after-thought, the circuit was defused by the University, as since the PHCN ignored complaints in this regard, but this has done irreversible damage to a young, brilliant soul. Yet as another negative after-effect, breaking the high voltage circuit will throw the serviced community, Onike and environ into prolonged darkness in addition to the avoidable death caused to a UNILAG scholar by utter negligence of the PHCN. Notoriously, the PHCN is more interested in their economic interest more than they care about lives. But this is one case too symbolic for their character of neglect. This makes it imperative to re-screen the companies that benefited from the privatization exercise to right the wrongs of booty sharing to friends of the previous occupants of government offices. Possibly, the privatization may be reversed so effective hands can take over. We need service companies that care if electricity must be controlled by private companies.
 
In UNILAG, given the massive size of students that throng the frontage of the "new halls of residences, cafeteria, students' fellowship grounds, event and pageant field at Sodeinde residential hall and business centers, this particular incidence could have killed more people on campus.
 
Evidently, the deceased had no hands in her death.
 
Visibly, her death was avertable.
 
But sadly, the needless death occurred!
 
The above lines maybe for lawyers, we shall come back to that.
 
I join in commiserating with the family, relations of the deceased and students of the University of Lagos. It is a bereavement for all of us. We lost one of us, and we are deeply sad about it.
 
This is a call on all of us to be proactive keepers of others.
 
 It is not enough to agonize, let us begin to organize to avert a future occurrence.
 
As individual students, we have a duty by default to caring for one another and report suspected dangerous spots before things get too late to rectify.
 
As Hall chairperson, reports should be acted upon immediately.
 
As Class reps, proper ventilation and easy exit for cases of emergency must be ensured in every classroom before any class could commence. No classroom must have any of its doors permanently locked without the keys in the hands of class members during lectures.
 
As members and leaders of Departmental, Faculty, and the Students' Union executives, personal sacrifices are imperative.
 
As the Academic Staff Union, consideration for students wellbeing must prevail at all times, this gesture must beget reciprocity from students.
 
As Non-Academic Staff Union, everyone matters regardless of position.
 
As Director of Students Affairs, students' complaints rank first on any scale.
 
As Director of Works, certain situations require discretions for safety sake and cannot wait for some approvals before action.
 
As security and response unit, the greatest chance of rescue and victim survival is within first ten minutes of a distress call. This chance slims out progressively afterward. A stitch in time is therefore beyond not just a memorization quote.
 
Office of the Vice Chancellor will have less of pressure if we all take responsibility for our immediate environment so that that office can focus on higher tasks deserved by the university.
Every stakeholder must be alert to every situation. Life is so precious, yet so fragile.
It is not an issue for one, but the issue for all.
 
Now I come back lastly to call out the Medical Center on UNILAG campus. Saving life is a superior obligation to demanding compulsorily for patient's identification card. The practice of requesting identification, clarification, police reports or other notes before attending to emergency cases has phased out globally. The practice has lost appeal as it has cost us, precious souls, therefore, cannot stand.
 
Save that life first, that is the medical calling, and then come back to other identification issues thereafter. We can reduce significantly, the number of candle lights processions if we so care.
 
Oluchi Anekwe will be sorely missed by all of us. It is a very sad loss from which we cannot quickly recover. 

 Rest in perfect peace, dear sister.

We will be there to pay our last respect to you, but we promise to make sure PHCN does not get away with this fatal negligence, and we promise to stand by your family until you get justice.
 
#ThatItMayNotHappenAgain
 
Segun Olawoye (O'Law).
Facebook: Segun O'Law
Twitter: @segun_olawoye