BBC Pidgin of Wednesday, 2 November 2022

Source: BBC

'Since my husband die, life don become unbearable for me and my pikins' - wife of Ikoyi building collapse victim tok

Ewatomi Akinyele, 30, lost her husband during di 1 November, 2021 Ikoyi building collapse Ewatomi Akinyele, 30, lost her husband during di 1 November, 2021 Ikoyi building collapse

“Since my husband die, life don become so unbearable for me and my pikins. “We bin dey so close dat pipo sabi us as inseperable couple”. Woman tell BBC her sad tori. 30 year old Ewatomi Akinyele lost her husband during di 1 November, 2021 Ikoyi building collapse. More dan 40 pipo die when di  21-storey high-rise block of luxury flats under construction collapse. E be one year since di tragedy happun. And like many wey don happun before and afta am, survivors and families of victims dey grief. Ewatomi tok about how life don become difficult for her and her two pikins afta her landlord send dem out of di house sake of she no fit pay rent. “My husband be one of di victims of di Ikoyi building collapse wey happun last year,” Ewatomi narrate how di tori happun. Im name be Akinleye Sesan. “E be first go for one week and wen e come back, e tell me say e no go fit go back to di site as dem never pay dem for di one week service e don do bifo”. “I bin worry and tell am say  do dey comfortable wit di job as e even tell me say di building be 21 storey”. By Monday 1 November, e receive call from di person wey  mobilise labourers for di construction say di engineer don pay , Ewatomi add She also add say na den di late husband ask am ask  to pack im clothes for bag so e fit join di rest to go back to work. “ E commot house wit apology say e no fit provide money for me and our pikins, I tell am make e no worry now but say make e send money once dem pay. “We tok by 12 noon afta e don reach site” di woman explain. Ewatomi tok about how she begin worry when 4:00PM nack and she notice say her husband phone number no dey connect again. “By evening some pipo come call me to di house of di mobiliser. Dem tell me say 21 storey building don collapse for Ikoyi, I don tell dem say na di place my husband tell me say e dey go work. Na so di problem start. Building collapse for Nigeria Di National Emergency Management Agency say at least 15 buildings don collapse for Nigeria dis year alone. Development wey experts say fit remain unchanged or fit even get worse. Ewatomi further explain say “dem call us to come identify im body” She say “di goment don show say dem dey insensitive as rescue effort no dey impressive”. 'My in-laws also abandon me and my pikin' “Since we bury am,im family members don abandon me and di pikins,'' Ewatomi explain. “Di landlord also chase us comot afta e give me enough time to pay di rent and I no fit. “We no longer get home”. “I sometimes help people to wash clothes so dem go give me money”. Di mama of two pikin tok. I no fit even afford aford rent, my pikins also need to go back to school. My husband be cheerful giver when e bin dey alive. She beg make goment  help dem and no abandon dem like dat. Meanwhile, di goment say construction workers suppose get insurance Lagos state Building control agency oga tok say any construction wey  don dey get layers always get insurance for workers and contractors ghas shsow responsibility. Despite plenti calls by victims, experts and many oda Nigerians, e still be like say cases of building collapse never wan end for di kontri.