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Fatai, a 44-year-old father of three, died on Wednesday at the Lagos office of the examinations body when he fell off a lift from the eighth floor of WAEC building in Lagos. He reportedly went to the office to collect his certificate. He was said to be a 300-level undergraduate (If you missed it click HERE )
On that sad day, Fatai used the elevator in the WAEC building, coming down from the eight floor in a bid to reach the ground floor, the doors of the elevator opened, Fatai, who did not know that the box in the faulty elevator did not come with it, (and there was no indicator to notify) walked into an empty space and crashed.
It was learnt that the deceased whose three children and wife live in Osun State, had just rented an apartment in Lagos to accommodate his family.
Two of his sons, a set of twins, are preparing to write the WAEC examination.
The LCDA Council Manager Fashola Abdul-Rafiu Omowole said the incident occurred due to WAEC’s negligence. He said the council would ensure that its official does not die in vain.
Omowole said: “Why was it that the lift was not being used or was faulty and there was no sign to stop visitors from using it? Fatai Odeniyi just walked into the place and crashed. It was a loud bang that attracted the workers there.
“We were called by some WAEC officials, who said one of our officials had had an accident and that he had been rushed to the Orthopaedic Hospital at Igbobi, Yaba. We asked to know what kind of accident but nobody was willing to tell us. So, I moved to the place. When we got to the Orthopaedic Hospital, we were told that he had been transferred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Idi-Araba, Surulere. They, however, said before they could get there the man had died. His body was taken back to WAEC’s clinic, where we demanded to know what happened to him,” he said.
Omowole noted that he and the others demanded to know what happened but that they were told that there was no official to speak to them.
According to him, senior WAEC officials were said to be in a meeting in Abuja and that the council officials would have to wait for them to return for any management action on the matter.
“When they saw that we were angry and the atmosphere became heated up, they invited the police from Sabo. The police tried to arrest us, even when they saw that we were aggrieved. However, they could not because the place was tensed up. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr Tony Haruna, had to come over himself and he tried to placate us. He told the WAEC officials that the accident was purely out of negligence on their part and that they should admit it. Even the Registrar, Mrs Ajayi, begged us to overlook the incident,” Omowole said.
According to him, WAEC and the council officials made statements at the police station on Wednesday and returned there yesterday.
Omowole stated that the council’s lawyers have been briefed and directed to sue WAEC for negligence as well as demand compensation for the family of the deceased.
Police spokesman Jayieoba Joseph confirmed that some officials of WAEC had made statement and that investigation is ongoing.
WAEC yesterday reacted to Odeniyi’s death at its Lagos office.
Its Head of Public Affairs Unit, Mr Yusuf Ani said: “It has become a police case. The DPO, Sabo police station, has intervened. We acknowledged that there was an accident. I am in Abuja; so, I don’t have the details.
“Some people said the lift was in motion when the accident occurred; I don’t know if it was faulty. Sometimes it became faulty and got fixed. My office is on the first floor, so I don’t use it.
“I will ask the Lift Maintenance Officer to know what happened. I was mostly out of the office in the past three weeks because of the Abuja programme. It’s only when I return to Lagosthat we will know what exactly happened.”
Top management officials of WAEC have been meeting in Abuja since Monday over the 60th WAEC Council meeting, which ends today
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Haba why are you talking as if blood is not flowing through your body. This is human life we are talking about ( a whole bread winner).This is not an acceptable explaination. does it mean that because you are not around WAEC activities will be grouded. somebody is there that can write report, your own is just to announce what has being documented.
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