One year after the
privatisation of the power sector, persons whose future has been
threatened by accidents they had while working for the Power Holding
Company of Nigeria are still left without hopes of survival.
ASIDE its market benefits, the
privatisation of the power sector has further shown how unprepared
stakeholders are for the change. Compensation of permanently disabled
persons hitherto working for the defunct. PHCN is still dragging.
These once able-bodied individuals now live at the mercy of others, as they cannot fend for themselves.
They have suddenly become street beggars
and can hardly move about without being aided. Some of the victims
narrate their ordeals.
Kehinde Adeleke tells his story
I was a member of staff of the defunct
PHCN, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company. I was working at Oworo
Undertaking in Lagos. The unfortunate incident happened on January 25,
2013. I was electrocuted while on official duty.
I never knew how I got to the hospital.
The first hospital I was taken to was Afolabi Hospital Oworo, where I
spent about one hour, according to one of those that rescued me. From
there I was transferred to John Ken Hospital, Akoka. I spent two weeks
there, and was later taken to Igbobi Hospital, where I spent about a
month and my two hands were amputated from the lower elbow.”
READ MORE AFTER THE CUT..................................................
At the time I was at Igbobi Hospital,
the management of PHCN Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company settled
the medical bills and also gave me the sum of N100,000 within the month
of February.
Before the amputation was done, the
management of the company entered into an agreement that after the
amputation, it would provide me with useful and movable artificial
hands, which would be fixed in Germany. This is where the medical team
at Igbobi Hospital recommended and the management of the company through
the then Principal Manager, Medical Services, Dr. E.L. Thliza
unanimously agreed to execute the terms of the agreement within two
months.
I had to leave Igbobi Hospital for Ikeja
Medical Centre on March 11, 2013 when I told the organisation that I
would not be able to go home under my condition after being discharged
from Igbobi Hospital. I spent another four months at Ikeja Medical
Centre.
Eventually, on June 20, 2013, a United
Bank for Africa cheque of N2,313, 194 was given to me by the company’s
management. This money was supposed to cover my passport fees, visa,
ticket, as well as accommodation and hospital bills in India, where they
recommended I should go for treatment.
I left Nigeria on June 29, 2013 and
arrived India on June 30, 2013. When I got to the hospital in India, I
discovered that the money with me could only cover an artificial hand
for one limb. I had to call my management in Nigeria to complain before
they sent additional N1,050,000 that covered the second hand, as well as
other expenses.
However, the artificial hands given to
me were not useful. The doctors at the Indian hospital did explain to me
that they had useful artificial hands at their headquarters in Germany,
which could be obtained for a price that is over 15 times the price of
an ordinary one.
After I was told this, I called the
management of my company from India and explained the options. They
promised me that they would make provision for me to get the movable
hand whenever I came back to Nigeria.
To my surprise, when I came back to
Nigeria on August 14, 2013, the PHCN management asked me to write a
letter to make my request official, which I did on August 20, 2013. Till
this moment, I have not received any reply from them. I suspected that
they were trying to push aside my case until the privatisation of PHCN
was concluded; when l would be handed over to the new owners, who may
not show interest in my case.
Up till now, I have not heard from
either the former management of PHCN or the new owners. Nobody is
talking to me, and I don’t have any idea of what their plans are for me.
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