DEVELOPMENT-NIGERIA:
Compensation Disputes Haunt Anniversary of Ikeja Blast
Toye Olori
LAGOS, Jan 27 (IPS) - Relatives of those who died during the 2002 explosions
at a military barracks in Lagos have boycotted a ceremony to commemorate the
event, Tuesday - this to show their displeasure at government's treatment of
blast survivors.
The explosions, at the Ikeja barracks, led to the death of more than a
thousand people - many of whom drowned in the nearby Oke-Afa canal while
trying to flee the scene. Schools, offices and factories near the barracks
were also destroyed, with damages amounting to millions of dollars.
Tuesday's commemoration was held at the site of a mass grave for blast
victims. During the ceremony, Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu said the
government remained willing to help those who had survived the accident -
within its limited resources.
"Today we grieve for the dead, especially children and youths whose lives
were prematurely terminated. We love them, we remember them as we continue
to pray for the peaceful repose of their souls," Tinubu told those present.
But, relatives of the dead say the past two years have shown government
pledges of assistance to be largely empty.
To begin with, they complain that authorities have yet to erect a
monument at the blast site.
"There is no place to lay wreaths in memory of our loved ones. The
government promised to erect a cenotaph in their memory two years ago, but
up till this moment nothing has been done and we are still waiting," said
Funmilayo Adeyeye, who lost her husband and two children in the canal.
People whose property was destroyed or damaged say they're also waiting
for compensation - even though huge sums of money were collected by
authorities on their behalf.
Adesola Areago-Elegbede, the widow of a man whose property was located
directly opposite the barracks, says she submitted an estimate of about
150,000 dollars for damages. However, she later found her name missing from
the list of blast victims who were supposed to receive government
compensation.
"My name did not feature among those who benefited from the 500,000 naira
(about 3,700 dollars) cash relief given out to each of the heavy casualties
of the disaster. I have not been paid anything," she claims, adding "I cry
any time I think of the amount I need to spend to make these houses look
good again."
According to structural engineers, over 900 houses within a 10 to 15
kilometre radius of the blast sustained damages, and may have to be pulled
down. Owners of buildings which burnt down completely as a result of the
explosions were supposed to be paid between 30 and 40 percent of the total
cost of damages.
Francis Ashogbon, a member of the 2002 disaster rescue team, says
relatives of the blast casualties were angered by the treatment they
received when they visited the state secretariat to discuss compensation.
"They do not want to have anything to do with the remembrance ceremony
because of the way government has turned the disaster into a political issue
without really caring for the victims' relations," Ashogbon noted.
However, Ayo Oshintelu, Chairman of local government structures in Ejigbo
- the suburb where the blast occurred - has called on relatives to be
patient.
"Those things that the state government had promised would be done - by
the grace of God by this time next year, they (will) have been done," he
said.
The Lagos Explosion Disaster Relief Fund says it has received donations
worth just over six million dollars for blast victims. To date, almost 1.5
million dollars has been distributed to about 123 small- and medium-sized
businesses affected by the accident.
The Nigerian Red Cross, in its turn, received 750,000 dollars from
individuals and organisations locally and abroad, which it used to restore
homes.
According to the Red Cross Secretary-General Abiodun Orebiyi, 1,258
houses were restored - enabling over 10,000 families to have a roof over
their heads. (END/2004)
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