NEWS
Elevator Tragedy: Lagos Sacks Facility Managers, Others
The Lagos State Government expressed deep regret over the unfortunate elevator accident that occurred on August 1st, 2023, at the House Officer’s residence of General Hospital, Odan.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued via its official Twitter handle on Sunday.
The incident resulted in the tragic loss of Dr. Vwaere Diaso, a promising young house officer.
The government extends heartfelt condolences to her family and colleagues, and offers prayers for her soul.
The statement reads “The Lagos State Government would like to, once again, acknowledge with deep regret the unfortunate elevator accident of Tuesday, 1st August 2023 at the House Officer’s residence of the General Hospital, Odan, which resulted in the death of Dr. Vwaere Diaso, a vibrant young house officer.
“We commiserate with her family and her colleagues and pray for the repose of her soul. As a Government, we feel the pain of this irreparable loss. May The Almighty console them and give them the strength to go through this difficult time.
“LASG, in recognition of the importance of providing functional and comfortable accommodation for health workers, outsourced the management of the House Officers Quarters to a facility management company.
“The Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA) oversees the activities of the facility management company.
“Following the incident, we immediately set up a panel to look into its likely causes, identify persons who might be culpable, and suggest ways of preventing any future occurrence.
“For transparency, the membership of the panel included representatives of the Medical Guild and six representatives of House Officers. The panel has now concluded its deliberations and submitted its report.
“According to its findings, the incident happened around 6.50 pm. Due to the impact, the elevator doors were damaged and needed to be forced open to rescue the trapped house officer.
“She was extracted at about 7.50 pm and resuscitation commenced immediately. She was wheeled to the emergency room and was immediately attended to by a medical team led by a highly experienced consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon.
“The team was assisted by all house officers who were present at the time. The initial objectives were to ensure a clear airway, maintain breathing, and establish circulation.
“The team was also joined by two consultant anaesthetists, including the Medical Director, who intubated the patient. Despite all the efforts, she stopped breathing around 8.13pm and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) commenced. This went on until 8.59pm when she was pronounced dead.
“It is important to state that blood samples for cross-matching had not been taken and there had not been a request for blood at the time CPR commenced; it is not true that blood was not available.
“The State has a strong network of screening centres where blood is available. Besides, there is a register of voluntary donors who can be mobilised at very short notice.
“It is also important to state that the elevator that crashed was installed brand new in 2021.
“Elevator experts working with the Lagos Safety Commission have carried out an initial inspection and will be removing the elevator for further mechanical examination to determine why the safety features that should prevent this kind of accident did not work. Their findings will determine if we have a case with the elevator installer.
“Based on our initial findings the Lagos State Government has taken the following actions:
“We have sacked and blacklisted the Facility Managers.
“The GM of @infoLASIAMA is to immediately proceed on suspension
“The operations and line of reporting of the facility managers have been restructured to involve the hospital management directly
“We have handed the installation and maintenance contractors to the police for further investigation and likely prosecution if they are found culpable.
“The police will also investigate anyone else that might have been found to be negligent
“Engineers are working to unravel why all the safety devices of the elevator failed at the same time
“All our staff are fully insured. We have informed our life insurance providers about this incident.
“The @safety_lasg has been directed to immediately carry out an audit of all elevators in public offices.
“This is besides the usual safety arrangements that have always existed.” It added.
Gabonese citizens lined up at polling stations on Saturday to cast their votes in a landmark presidential election, the first since the military ousted the Bongo dynasty in a coup last August.
Eight candidates are vying for the top job, but all signs point to junta leader General Brice Oligui Nguema — the man behind the August 30, 2023, coup — emerging as the frontrunner.
Oligui, who toppled Ali Bongo and ended 55 years of family rule widely criticized for corruption and economic mismanagement, has dominated opinion polls in the run-up to the vote.
In the capital, Libreville, snaking queues formed outside polling stations as voters turned out early.
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Among them was 30-year-old Aurele Ossantanga Mouila, who cast his ballot for the first time after finishing a night shift at a casino.
“I did not have confidence in the earlier regime,” Mouila told reporters, echoing the sentiments of many young voters hoping for change in the oil-rich central African nation.
Oligui, who served as transitional president while civilians drafted a new constitution, swapped his military uniform for campaign attire as he seeks a seven-year mandate.
He faces seven challengers, including his main rival, former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, a longtime insider under Ali Bongo who now brands himself as the face of a “complete rupture” from the past.
Despite Oligui’s promises of reform, critics question his commitment to breaking with the old system, noting his deep ties to the Bongo era.
His campaign slogan, “C’BON” — a clever wordplay blending his initials with the French phrase for “It’s good” — has been plastered across Libreville, while rival candidates struggle for visibility.
As roughly 920,000 registered voters cast their ballots, the election is taking place against a backdrop of pressing national issues.
High unemployment, failing infrastructure, regular power outages, and soaring government debt — projected to reach 80 percent of GDP this year — have fueled public frustration.
Analysts, like political observer Neyer Kenga, say the vote represents a critical test for Gabon’s return to civilian rule and constitutional order.
“Today all Gabonese are firmly in favour of a democratic game that is played within the rules,” Kenga noted, adding that the outcome remains uncertain in a nation scarred by post-election violence in 2009 and 2016, as well as last year’s coup.
The interior ministry has pledged a “transparent ballot” and results are expected by Monday. Meanwhile, Oligui remains confident of victory.
“The builder is here, the special candidate, the one you called,” he declared at his final rally, as music and dancing filled the streets of Libreville.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has cautioned the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) against actions capable of disrupting academic activities at the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).
In a statement released on Saturday in Ado Ekiti, the student body condemned what it described as “veiled threats” by SSANU Western Zone to mobilize its members for industrial action or protest at FUOYE, following the university’s handling of a sexual harassment allegation against the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina.
The controversy stems from an extraordinary meeting of FUOYE’s Governing Council, which exonerated Prof. Fasina of the sexual misconduct allegation, while two local SSANU leaders were found guilty of misconduct.
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The council directed the implicated unionists to issue written apologies and undertakings to abide by university regulations within seven days, although their suspensions were lifted, with a forfeiture of half salaries for the period under review.
In reaction, SSANU’s National Vice President for the Western Zone, Abdussobur Salaam, rejected the council’s decision and announced plans to mobilize union members across 26 universities for a possible industrial action until their demands were addressed.
Responding, NANS leaders Taiwo Owolewa (Coordinator), Olutunde Oluwole (General Secretary), and Eromidayo Kuku (Public Relations Officer) warned that any attempt to destabilize the academic environment would be met with firm resistance from the student body.
“Nigerian students and the entire NANS structure in the South-West and beyond will resist such moves with even greater mobilization across our over 70 tertiary institutions comprising more than 300,000 students,” the statement read.
They emphasized that students would not stand idly by and allow any group or union to jeopardize the academic future of over 50,000 students at FUOYE.
“This is not a threat; this is a declaration of readiness to protect the academic future of Nigerian students. FUOYE or any of our institutions in Southwest is not a battleground for political vendettas or union showdowns,” the student leaders asserted.
While urging SSANU to seek lawful and peaceful avenues to resolve grievances, NANS also called on stakeholders to step in and prevent any action that could compromise the stability of the institution.
Additionally, the association aligned itself with the conclusions of the university panel that cleared the Vice Chancellor of wrongdoing, citing corroboration from both the Nigeria Police Force and the testimonies of the concerned parties.
“Our foremost concern remains the welfare of students,” NANS stated, endorsing the Governing Council’s plans to establish a Peace and Reconciliation Committee as well as onboarding and reorientation programmes aimed at fostering a positive institutional culture.
Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to disregard a petition filed against her by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and instead open a thorough investigation into allegations of threats to her life.
Akpabio had accused the embattled senator of defamation and incitement, following claims that he was involved in an alleged plot to assassinate her.
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Describing the allegations as “heinous lies,” Akpabio insisted they were designed to damage his reputation and stir public unrest.
Reacting through a statement released by her lawyer, Victor Giwa, Akpoti-Uduaghan dismissed the Senate President’s petition as an attempt to distract law enforcement from investigating the real issues.
“It is our client’s position that the Senate President should submit himself for a full investigation to security agents before any allegation of incitement against him,” the statement read.
Giwa went further to accuse Akpabio of trying to avoid scrutiny by raising counter-allegations, claiming that the Senate President was the “principal suspect” in the matter and had allegedly ordered the withdrawal of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s security.
The statement argued that Akpabio’s petition could only be considered after the allegations against him had been properly investigated and proven false.
“We therefore call on the Senate President to submit himself to full investigation rather than divert the attention of the security agents through a bubble petition,” Giwa stated.
“It is only when the investigation has been concluded, and the allegation has been shown to be false, that the issue of incitement and false allegation against Senator Natasha can be entertained.
“We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police to discontinue the Senate president’s Petition as being diversionary and prejudicing of investigation,” the statement concluded.
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