2 weeks ago
7
By Evelyn Usman
His dependable was weak, but his words carried the value of pain, betrayal, and despair. Sitting connected a mat successful a small, one-room flat determination successful Lagos, 39-year-old Ayodeji Moses -Ojo fought to clasp backmost tears arsenic helium struggled to talk done a fractured jaw that had refused to heal.
Until 4 months ago, Ayodeji was a healthy, hardworking begetter of two. He worked with an outdoor advertizing bureau based successful the Lekki country of Lagos. Today, helium bears the scars of a tragic workplace mishap that has not lone near his assemblage shattered but besides exposed the soundless suffering of galore blue-collar workers abandoned by the precise companies they serve.
Day everything changed
June 18, 2025, began similar each different workday. He had kissed his woman and 2 small boys goodbye earlier leaving location for what was expected to beryllium a regular installation occupation . But earlier noon, calamity struck. An electrical surge from a high-tension cablegram tore done his assemblage arsenic helium worked connected a billboard on Agege road, throwing him disconnected the billboard. He landed connected the engaged Agege roadworthy with a thud, unconscious, severely burnt, and bleeding.
By the clip helium was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital LASUTH, doctors reportedly recovered aggregate fractures , his jaw, arms, and legs were broken. His tegument was burned successful respective places, leaving him hovering betwixt beingness and death.
Promise broken
At first, determination was hope. According to him, his leader had promised to instrumentality afloat work for his aesculapian bills, which were estimated to outgo implicit ¦ 10 million. But that promise, similar galore made to struggling workers, was short-lived, helium alleged.
“I was rushed to the infirmary aft the accident,” Ayodeji began, his words coming slowly, each syllable strained done swollen jaws and laboured breath. He spoke successful short, achy bursts, pausing often arsenic though each connection outgo him strength.
Continuing, helium said: “At first, my brag promised to instrumentality attraction of the bills. But aft immoderate time, helium said helium would lone walk ¦ 3 million, whether I got amended oregon not. He told maine that erstwhile the ¦ 3 cardinal was finished, helium would not wage a kobo more.”
He swallowed hard, his jaw tightening from the effort, earlier continuing successful a faint dependable laced with pain:” When the wealth ran out, helium stopped calling. He stopped caring. Since then, I person been near to conflict connected my own. I person spent everything I ever had — my savings, my wife’s tiny concern money, and the small contributions from friends, family, and radical who felt pity for me. Now, I person thing left.”
At this constituent helium tried to displacement successful his seat but winced successful pain. “My jaw is inactive breached and has not been operated on. The symptom is constant. I tin hardly devour oregon talk properly. My legs are inactive successful irons, and the wounds connected my assemblage are yet to heal. I americium conscionable present praying for assistance , praying that idiosyncratic volition perceive my story”, helium stated.
We person spent everything we person — Wife
Throughout the conversation, his frail parent who had journeyed from Ogun State to thin to her lad and his distraught wife, Alice, sat by his side, tears silently cascading down their cheeks.
Alice picked up the communicative from that point, her dependable trembling with exhaustion and pain. She said
“We person spent truthful much. The ¦ 3 cardinal his institution spent astatine the aboriginal signifier was lone for oxygen, X-ray, and the cognition connected his leg. As we speak, helium has robust rods successful that leg.
“After that, we spent different ¦ 3 cardinal of our own. There was a clip the doc said his bony marrow had been destroyed by the electrocution, and we had to bargain a cause to help. Just 3 tablets outgo ¦ 517,000 and we bought it 3 times portion helium was inactive astatine LUTH. But erstwhile it became evident we couldn’t conscionable up with the fiscal demands, we had nary prime but to permission the hospital.”
Fighting backmost tears, she continued: “Even now, a caregiver comes location to formal his coiled and today’s sojourn (Thursday) costs ¦ 50,000. He needs reconstructive country connected his jaw; his limb inactive needs POP; his backmost and thigh are covered successful burns that are yet to heal. He tin not chew nutrient astatine the moment. We person been surviving connected the goodwill of friends and family. I americium conscionable a Point-of-Sale POS operator.
We are appealing to kind-hearted Nigerians to delight travel to my husband’s aid. He had dreams for a amended aboriginal for our 2 children, aged 5 and two. We are not asking for excessively overmuch , conscionable a accidental for him to unrecorded again.”
Employer contacted
However, erstwhile Sat...
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