BusinessDay 17 Aug 2017

20
Out patients and visitors
waiting at one of
the hospital’s gate
locked by protesting
patients.
Gridlock: NSE to partner
LASG on road projects
JOSHUA BASSEY
BUSINESS DAY
CITYFile
The Nigerian Society of Engineers
(NSE), Ikeja Branch, said it would
collaborate with the Lagos State
Government on road designs to
end perennial gridlock on the
popular Pen Cinema area in Agege.
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve
centre with an estimated population of 21
people and a vehicular density of 264 vehicles
per kilometre of roadway, like other
megacities around the world, faces daily
traffic congestion challenge.
The congestion is worsened by the fact that
the transport network in the state is predominantly
road based with 90 percent of total passengers
and goods moved through that mode.
The state has natural waterways for ferry
services and federal rail network, but these
modes play an insignificant role in the daily
commuting of residents. The state government
plans to complement the poorly managed
and aged federal rail system with six
new rail lines and one mono rail, but these
are the dreams of the future with no specific
timelines for their delivery.
Patients protest incessant robbery attacks in Edo hospital
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, BENIN
Akin Akintola, chairman of the Ikeja
branch of NSE said on Tuesday that the
society would be joining the efforts of the
government in finding solution to the challenge
of traffic gridlock especially around
Agege Pen Cinema and its environs where
the society has its office.
Akintola, represented by his vice, Funmi
Akingbagbohun, at the society’s 2017 “charity
walk and traffic coordination,’’ said that
NSE would study the traffic pattern around
the Pen Cinema and come up with an engineering
design to solve the problem.
“We as engineers want to contribute to
the society. This is our axis and we discovered
that traffic congestion has become
a major and constant problem we must
tackle. We want to see how we can provide
engineering design solution.
“We want to appreciate what the state
government has done at Ojodu Berger and
Iyana Oworo areas,” he said adding that
some members of Ikeja NSE were working
with the state government on the Abule
Egba fly over project which was supposed
to pass through Agege.”
He said that the study of traffic pattern
Scores of patients at the Edo State Central
Hospital in Benin staged a protest
against incessant robbery attacks in
the maternity ward of the hospital.
The protesters, mainly women, overpowered
the only security guard at the gate and
locked up the two main gates at the hospital,
thereby denying staff and out-patients access
to the facility for more than one hour
on Tuesday.
Loveth Oghenekaro, spokesperson of the
protesters, in a chat with Cityfile, said the
action was to register their grievances over
what she described as incessant robbery
incidents in the hospital.
Oghenekaro said at about 1:00am last
Sunday, armed robbers gained entry into the
maternity ward through the ceiling and disposed
a patient of N100,000 and three phones.
“This is not the first time of robbery attack
in the hospital. Last week, patients at
the accident and emergency ward were also
robbed and the management is not doing
anything about it.”
“After the attack, we briefed the hospital
management of the development but nothing
was done about it. The management
only came to the ward to access the situation
without addressing the patients who were
traumatised by the attack.
“The money was meant to settle the hospital
bill of the patient who delivered at the
hospital. I was the one who borrowed her
N5,000 to buy drugs,” she said, attributing
the development to poor security situation
in the hospital.
Philip Ugbodaga, the Chief Medical Director
(CMD) of the hospital, who addressed
and subsequent engineering solution was
part of the Ikeja branch’s efforts to collaborate
with the state government in solving
road connectivity problems. According to
the chairman, the effort would go a long
way in proffering solution to traffic congestion
in the state.
Akintola explained that the charity walk
was an opportunity for engineers to burn
extra calories while serving their immediate
community. He said that NSE was also
aware that reckless driving was part of the
problems that compounded gridlock and
was planning a workshop for commercial
drivers on the axis.
“We intend to do a workshop for drivers.
We have done for mechanics and will do
one for construction workers on Friday.’’
Remi Eko, a co-opted executive member
of the branch, said that the walk was also for
the engineers to keep fit and interact with
the Agege community on best ways to serve
them as part of their CSR.
It is not just traffic, we also want to find
lasting solutions as we understudy the traffic
pattern and also ask relevant questions,’’
Eko said.
the protesters, assured that adequate security
would be provided.
“When the incident happened, I reported
the matter to the police and our guards were
able to apprehend one of the robbers and
handed him over to the police. We have
requested for police presence at night,”
Ugbodaga, who alleged that the robbery
was done in collaboration with an insider
noted that when the robbers entered the
ward, they didn’t even ask for the money,
but went straight to where the money was
kept and picked it.
Speaking also, Chris Obaseki, director,
Hospital Services and CEO, Edo Hospital
Management Board, described the development
as unfortunate, noting that hospital is
a place where patients seek for treatment.
Obaseki, however, assured that they are doing
their best to provide security in the hospital.
Residents laud Udom over
improved power supply
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
Thursday 17 August 2017
Residents of some residential estates
in Akwa Ibom have lauded the state
government over improved power
supply in Uyo, the state capital following
the upgrade of energy infrastructure and
construction of distribution lines.
Residents of Osongama , Ewet Housing
estates, Nwaniba, Shelter Afrique including
Four-Lane and the Le Meridien Ibom
Hotel said they have enjoyed uninterrupted
power supply for upward of 18
hours a day.
Ekaette Ekpenyong, a resident said she
enjoyed regular power supply and wished
it would continue indefinitely. “I now
enjoy a 18-hour uninterrupted supply in
my area,’’ she said.
Meyen Etukudo, managing director
of Ibom Power Company attributed the
development to the newly inaugurated
2 x 15MVA, 33kV/11kV injection substation
at Uyo.
Etukudo said the 2 x 15MVA injection
substation constructed by Governor
Udom Emmanuel has increased power
distribution to parts of Uyo by 24mw
which is the reason residents of those
areas now have steady and quality power
supply at 240volts daily.
“In addition to the 2 x 15MVA substation
in Uyo, there is a similar 2 x 15MVA
at the Airport; a 2 x 15MVA on IBB Avenue
and Oron road and there is a 1 x 2.5MVA
Point-Load Substation at Tropicana with
on-going plan to have another 2 x 15MVA
around the stadium road”.
“When these power infrastructure is
fully implemented, power supply in Uyo
will be stabilised and more reliable” he
said.
Abia: Flood kills 2,
ravages 46 communities
Heavy flooding has ravaged 46 communities
in Abia and killed two
children, an official of the State
Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)
has said.
Sunny Jackson, head, Planning, Forecasting
and Operations of the agency,
disclosed this in Umuahia.
Jackson said that the children drowned
when flood submerged their home in Akoli
Ohazu autonomous community in Aba South
local government area sometime in July.
He said that the mother of the deceased
was busy trying to salvage her property
when the flood surged into her house and
drowned the children.
Jackson described flooding as a natural
disaster but noted that it could be escalated
or checked through human actions
or inactions.
“Building on flood planes and waterways,
deforestation, over-grazing, improper
channelling of water, blocking of
drains and flood channels are capable of
triggering the disaster.”
Jackson said that the 46 affected communities
cut across 13 local government
areas of the state and that Aba South local
government area topped the list with
11 communities. He said that Aba North
came second, followed by Obingwa,
Osisioma and Ugwunagbo council areas.
“Some residents of the affected communities
can no longer access their homes
because their houses had been completely
submerged. Some of the communities
have been cut off from their neighbours
because flood has washed off their roads.”