 |
| Modu after the blast |
A victim of the first bomb blast in a
motor park in Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory, Miss Mary Modu,
has urged the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, to redeem the
pledge of N1m and an artificial leg made to her.
One of Modu’s legs was amputated apart from the surgeries she underwent on her chest and back due to the incident.
The 27-year-old, who was until the April
14 blast, a trader selling clothes and shoes, has just been discharged
from the Wuse General Hospital, Abuja.
It was learnt that she was the last of the victims to leave the hospital due to the severity of her condition.
Continue reading after the cut...
Modu spoke with our correspondent shortly
after a visit to her by the Knight of Saint Mulumba, Abuja Sub-Council
of the Catholic Church, led by Dr. Frank Odafen. A sum of N73,000 was
donated to her during the visit.
Modu appealed to the Minister to come to her aid by providing the artificial leg so that she could walk again.
She said shortly after the blast,
Mohammed had paid a visit to the Wuse General Hospital and had promised
her a cash donation of N1m and an artificial leg to assist her to walk
again.
The victim added that the Minister had
promised that the cash would reach her the following day after his
visit, adding that the money had yet to reach her.
She said, “I was involved in the first
bomb blast in Nyanya. Before then, I was a businesswoman, selling
clothes and shoes. I was on my way to the market on the fateful day. I
had bought a fare ticket and was standing on the queue to board a
vehicle when the blast occurred.
“I feel sad everyday seeing myself in my
present condition, but I am consoled that at least I am alive. The
Minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed, visited us immediately the incident
happened. He promised that he would give me some money to take care of
my feeding. He also promised that the government would give me an
artificial leg. Since then, I have not heard from him.
“I dont know how to reach him. The
Minister made a promise that he would give me N1m and an artificial leg.
That was immediately the incident happened. I could remember that it
was on a Saturday that he came here and promised to provide those things
the following Monday. But I have not seen him or any representative
from him since then.”
Modu said efforts made by her family to
follow up on the promise, including writing several letters, were
rebuffed. She added that whenever her relatives went to the Minister’s
office, his aides always chased them away.
She said, “If the government does not do
anything concerning my artificial leg, I would feel bad. I know that my
treatment here was free, but I need an artificial leg to walk again.”
Earlier, while presenting the cash,
Odafen who is also Chairman, Association of Nigerian Private Medical
Practitioners, said the money was meant to assist the victim in the
payment of her accommodation.
He said, “The message I have for people
here is that we should pray that such incidents never happen again in
this country and we should encourage the victims to have hope. Nigerians
should be benevolent and spend their time, their energy, their
resources in helping the less privileged, in helping crisis victims who
have become downtrodden through no fault of theirs.”
-Punch
Share your thoughts...thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment