Bose Adebayo
27 December 2008
Six Months after the May 15, fire disaster at Ijegun, in Igando- Ikotun-Local Government area of Lagos State, residents still wait anxiously for the mass burial by the State government who came to erect a cenotaph in the town last September.
Sighting the cenotaph, these residents heaved a sigh of relief that their beloved ones who lost their lives to the unfortunate inferno would after all, be buried soonest.
The affected families who apparently have arranged for a candle light never knew that the moment they have been waiting for may not be immediate as there was nothing in sight apart from the cenotaph.
Saturday Vanguard investigations can authoritatively report that there was no inkling of any mass burial for the victims save for an empty cenotaph in the town.
Painted in white colour, the cenotaph was erected at the exact spot of the fire disaster, with the following words ; Here lies the body of the victims of the Ijegun Pipeline fire outbreak which occurred on Thursday, may 15, 2008.
Many innocent lives including children scampering for safety perished in the pipeline fire outbreak. May their gentle souls rest in perfect peace, Amen- Igando-Ikotun Local government Council Development Area, Lagos State.
In honour of men, women and children who lost their lives on account of petroleum pipeline fire outbreak at Ijegun town on Thursday, May15, 2008. May their souls rest in peace. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) Executive Governor, Lagos State, on behalf of the people of Lagos State.
It is never a secret that unlike previous cenotaphs in the State, bodies of the victims of Ijegun fire disaster are yet to be buried in spite of the long period of waiting. But residents are now asking questions how come about the erection of cenotaph without formal mass burial of the victims?
When Saturday Vanguard visited the town, many of the residents who are yet to get a response to their questions described the advent of the cenotaph as a bad omen in the town. According to these helpless Lagosians, "It is a taboo in Yoruba land to erect a tomb without any burial taking place".
However, Oba-elect of Ijegun, Alhaji Nureni Akinremi popularly called Olomitutu who is yet to recover from the shock of the cenotaph told Saturday Vanguard that "An empty tomb has a lot of implications in Yoruba Land. A tomb must not be left empty, else, there would be a chaos in the town, no wonder the town has not rested from sudden death.
I believe that is why Ijegun has witnessed series of accidents and sudden deaths in the last three months. Two pregnant women have died at child birth not to mention series of motor accidents in the town. Two pregnant women have died at child birth not to mention series of motor accidents in the town.
Apart from this, you can go round the town and see a lot of people on sick bed. These are some of the things that are bound to take place anywhere a tomb is erected when there is no burial", the Oba-elect noted.
Reacting to some reports that the burial is delayed because victims insisted they must be compensated by both the government and the construction company before burial takes place in the town, Alhaji Nureni responded and said, "Ijegun town has never sued the government or the construction company, it is some human rights organisations that made such a move and I don't think an individual could stop a whole government from carrying out its plan.
Immediately the cenotaph was erected, families of the affected victims have even planned for a candle light but what do we do in a situation where the government is not prepared for any burial ? Also, there was a rumour the government once made the move to pay 10billion Naira to victims' families, but we don't know how far this is true, " said Akinremi.
Some of the residents lamented the insensitivity of Government towards these bereaved families. One of the residents who simply gave his name as Isiaka a. k.a. Easy have this to say, "We should know there is no government in this country, even if we cry for a whole day, they are less concerned about our plight. Where was the government when structures that bear the cenotaph were being erected?
I know Governor Fashola is about to change the face of Lagos which has been destroyed many years ago. The pipe line ought to have been replaced or maintained every ten years while this one has been there since 1975. Even if the construction company did not cause the explosion, it would have been caused by something else.
There is no maintenance of pipelines in Nigeria and it appears some people are making money out of this. As for the cenotaph, how can the government erect a tomb without any burial. All of us are Yorubas and we know it is a taboo to build a tomb without closing it," he explained.
To Mrs. Toyin Ogbelaja, a trader, who lost two of her sisters in the disaster, the cenotaph is a bad omen in the town, " I lost two people in the disaster and I shed tears each time I remember they are yet to be buried, the empty tomb in the town has been sending a bad signal to a lot of families that were affected in the disaster. Many of us would have been able to put the past behind us if the victims have been buried but as it is now, there is no way the dead ones will rest if they are not buried," she said.
According to Mr. Layi Akande, a business man in the town, "My sister, I have never seen a town without a leader, if things like these occur in any town, I believe there should be series of sacrifices to appease the gods but nothing is being done in the case of Ijegun simply because the town is yet to have an Oba. These are some of the adverse effects the town will witness until the government decide to give us an Oba," he said.
According to Iya Idera who lost his two year-old in the disaster, "The empty tomb is a way to remind us of the dead ones. If they had been buried, many of us would have forgotten about the incident, but how can one describe a situation when one wakes up everyday to remember he or she still have someone in the mortuary without burial plans for the person. The year is going to an end, are we going to welcome the new year amidst this,"
Two motorcyclists popularly called Okada, Mr. Ishola Abegunde and Adeoye Lukmon told Saturday Vanguard, "Do we want to count the number of people who have been involved in one form of accident or the other. Anywhere you find an empty tomb, tragedy will surely occur in the area. There is no two sides to it, it is a taboo to have an empty tomb in the town," they chorused.
Efforts to reach the State Government to comment on the development proved abortive as Saturday Vanguard visited the Ministries of Special Duties and Information and none of them was ready to comment on the issue on the ground that Igando-Ikotun Local Government was in the position to do so.
Chairman Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area however told Saturday Vanguard that a list have been sent to the State Government for compensation of victims, " I can't say categorically when burial is taking place. My administration took off last month and we have not been able to do anything on the burial issue. Although we are aware about the cenotaph and we shall try our best to liaise with the State Government and see if something can be done." he said.
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