The Onwuemene family is in deep sorrow. Their son, Samuel Oluseyi Onwuemene, was heading to work in his Honda car when a trailer fell from the Ojuelegba bridge and crushed his vehicle on Saturday, April 2, which was exactly 18 days to his 52nd birthday. He was a widower of three years single-handedly taking care of his three children, the youngest of which is 14.
The Herald’s John Ogunsemore visited the grief-stricken family in their home in Ago Palace, Lagos, on Friday, April 8, and spoke with the deceased’s elder sister, Benedicta Onwuemene and niece, Sylvia Mba-Kalu, about that unforgettable night that has brought them nothing but indescribable anguish. Excerpt…
Can you tell us what happened on that night?
Sylvia Mba-Kalu: Basically, he was on his way to work that day. He was just driving normally. He was fine. It was not as if he was sick or anything. All of a sudden the trailer fell from the bridge directly on top of his vehicle. While he was still alive within the time the thing happened, obviously people there tried helping him and he also tried getting out but from everything that happened, Nigeria due to their carelessness and negligence, the people that were supposed to help him got there two hours plus later when he had already lost his life.
How many wives and children does your uncle have?
One wife and three children. His wife died three years ago.
When you commented on The Herald’s initial story about the incident, you said the Lagos State Government killed your uncle. Why did you say so?
Number one, there are supposed to be rules and laws for these trailers. Why will a trailer be climbing a bridge and why will there be potholes on the road? It is carelessness. And this is not the first time that somebody would lose their life at that Ojuelegba bridge. Three months ago, a family died there. The same thing happened and they did not find any solution to it maybe because it’s not their family members that are dying there like goats. Also, if you travel abroad, and there is an accident, does it take one hour or 30 minutes even before a rescue team arrives? But in Nigeria, two hours plus! That’s carelessness and negligence. They don’t care about the lives of the citizens. Look at what happened at Lekki Toll Gate. If they cared about the lives of citizens, would Sanwo-Olu not have done something about it? Instead, they instructed people to go and kill innocent people. Because it’s not their family members, they are not doing the right thing or putting the right measures in place.
How does your uncle’s death in such tragic circumstances make you feel?
Cuts in… I’m angry and sad that my uncle lost his life when he still had a lot of things to do. It was not as if he was sick and died.
Have his employers contacted your family since the incident occurred?
Of course. The company has come immediately to pay a visit…
Deceased’s elder sister, Benedicta Onwuemene, cuts in… They just came on a condolence visit but all the money that is being spent, I have been doing the spending. I am his immediate elder sister. What they (company) are asking for are receipts.
Receipts of what?
Receipt of anything that we procure or incur. That’s what they have done. But for now, they’ve not done anything. They have not brought a dime. Nobody has given us anything. And it is so sad till I am talking with you now. The trailer driver ran away. When they started looking for the owner of the truck, the first person that was gotten said that though he procured the trailer, he had sold it to somebody else. Police said they’re looking for the new owner. Then later we’re told that they found the owner. Till now, the owner of the truck has not contacted us. He only sent his lawyer to the police station. My brought has been in the morgue since Sunday morning. I paid for the morgue and the embalmment. Since Monday, they said we should come for a coroner’s form because they want to carry out an autopsy. To get coroner’s form, throughout Monday, he was in the police station. He didn’t get. Tuesday throughout, the woman that was supposed to issue it later came to tell us that she forgot her phone. It was yesterday (Thursday) that the coroner’s form was actually filled. Now, somebody is dead and we had to pay for coroner’s form at the police station. N10,000 naira each making N40,000.
So, you bought four…?
Yes, they said it’s four – one for the pathologist, one for his file, and I don’t know where. My (other) brother would have been in a better position to tell you where and where the forms will be taken. Now, the coroner’s form has been filled, they still expected us to do COVID-19 test on a dead body. I transferred N45,000 this morning. I will show you. It’s in my phone.
The N45,000 was for what?
They said it’s for COVID-19 test. On a corpse! They said it’s Lagos state’s procedure since COVID-19.
Since this incident occurred, has any state government representative visited your family?
Cuts in… Which representative? Which state government? Do we have a government in Nigeria? The system was the one that actually killed my brother because I learnt that they said heavy-duty vehicles were not supposed to be plying that Ojuelegba bridge. How many times have trailers fallen from that place? So they could not put a bar to stop heavy-duty vehicles from following that place? It’s because the system is a corrupt one.
First of all, those types of trailers should not be plying the road. There is supposed to be standardisation for trucks plying the road. It’s supposed to be their job at NPA (Nigerian Ports Authority). They are supposed to check trucks. Trucks are supposed to have twist lock. They are supposed to be flat. There are standard procedures that trucks should have and things they are supposed to possess before they’re able to carry containers. Every time you see trucks, some of them don’t even have complete tyres. And these trucks go into the port and come out. They still ply that Ojuelegba road, killing people. Killed my innocent brother, who was on his way to work. What’s killing me most is that my brother was alive (immediately after the trailer fell). I learnt people were trying to help him but they could not. How many people can carry a trailer? I heard the accident happened around 8:40-something in the evening but help didn’t come until after 10 to 11. What sort of a country is this that just kills innocent people?
My brother was a family man. My brother lost his wife three years ago. He’s the one taking care of his children. Now, those children have become orphans. The oldest is just 21 and the youngest is 14.
What can the state government or Nigeria do to assuage your family’s suffering?
Cuts in… What are you saying? Do we have a country? We are living in a failed state. Look at that bridge. What stops the government from bringing back the rails that have been removed? All the military, traffic operatives on the road that are supposed to stop this kind of a thing are busy collecting money. All they are after is to collect money. Everybody is after their own pocket. Nobody is ready to help the poor masses.
My poor brother was on his way to work. He was not a thief. He was not a Yahoo, Yahoo boy. He was an honest worker, an HSE officer in Flour Mills.
When is he likely to be buried?
We’re looking at Wednesday (April 13) or Thursday (April 14). I just pray the autopsy is concluded on time. It’s unfortunate that everybody just wants to make money off you, even when you’re grieving. They said the COVID-19 test will be out by 6pm today (Friday). Then the pathologist will do the autopsy. I don’t even know how much the autopsy will cost me.
What type of person was your brother?
My brother had no form of ailment. He was hale and hearty. He was a lively man. If you stay with my brother, you’ll never have a dull moment. You’ll laugh till you go. That’s who my brother was.
These senseless deaths. Avoidable deaths. It is not the first, second, third nor fourth time on that same spot in Ojuelegba, for crying out loud. It is because it does not concern their own families. That’s why the government is not doing anything about it. I am grieving. My heart is broken (weeping). Go and see my eldest sister. My mum has us nine. He was my mum’s fifth child. Now we’re eight because of Nigerian government’s negligence and insensitivity.