The Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, commenced a probe of the elevator accident that led to the death of a medical doctor, Vwaere Diaso, with a promise that the deceased will get justice.
The House also held a one-minute silence in honour of the deceased, while sympathized with the family and friends of the late doctor, as well as the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, who set up a committee to investigate the accident, said a proper probe of the incident which happened recently at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, was needed to ensure proper management and safety of lives.
The eight-man committee to be headed by the Deputy Speaker, Honourable Mojisola Meranda, while the other members are; David Setonji, Lara Oyekan, Olayinka Ajomale, Shabi Adekola, Omolara Olumegbon, Oluwa Akanbi and Olarenwaju Afinni.
The committes were given two weeks mandate to report their findings to the House.
Obasa approved that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital and staff, who had roles in the incident be summoned, and also asked the Committee to invite the NMA branch in Lagos Island.
The Speaker said it was unimaginable the pain that the loss of the medical doctor would bring to her immediate family.
“It is saddening to loose such a young promising daughter and there is no convincing explanation we can give to the parents and her colleagues; no amount of explanation can suffice,” he said.
The Speaker also appealed to the NMA to resume work, saying government would look into their demands.
Earlier raising the issue on the floor of the House, Honourable Olarenwaju Afinni representing Lagos Island Constituency 2, urged his colleagues to help look into the crisis.
In his own contribution, Honourable Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa 2, said the NMA had the right to express its grievances over the death of its colleague, but appealed to its members to call off the indefinite strike in order to avert more death.
“This incident saddens my heart and we sympathize with the family and NMA. We have seen their demands and we are appealing that they should resume work to prevent patients from dying,” he said.
Meanwhile, the House has ordered the State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit to stop demolition of houses in the Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos with immediate effect.
The decision of the House followed a ‘matter of urgent public importance’ raised by Honourable Sanni Okanlawon, who told his colleagues that some policemen stormed the area and demolished buildings.
He said the demolition squad had claimed that only shanties would be affected. He lamented that the team had gone beyond the shanties and have demolished a lot of other buildings.
According to him, over 300 people have lost buildings, property and sources of livelihood and that his finding showed that the Ministry of the Environment and the Police Taskforce headed by one CSA Jejeloye were behind the action.
Speaker Obasa, thereafter, directed the Clerk of the House, Barrister Olalekan Onafeko, to write a letter to CSP Jejeloye and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment to stop the demolition.
He also set up a five-man ad-hoc Committee, who includes; Nureni Akinsanya, Adewale Temitope, Sanni Okanlawon, Femi Saheed and Aro Moshood to investigate the matter.
