ELECTROCUTION: FG dispatches technical team to UNILAG

ABUJA—The Federal Government has dispatched a high-powered technical team to the University of Lagos, where a 300 level Accounting student, Oluchi Anekwe, was electrocuted on Tuesday night. Late Oluchi Anekwe This came on a day indications emerged that parents of the deceased planned to drag to court the university and the power distribution company in the area. The technical team, led by Peter Ewesor, of Nigeria Electricity Management Services Limited, NEMSL, has arrived Lagos to commence its findings. A Deputy Director in charge of press at the ministry, Mr. Timothy Oyedeji, who disclosed this in a statement last night in Abuja, said the team was at UNILAG to unravel the actual cause of the incident. The statement read: “At the end of the exercise, the team is expected to find out what actually went wrong and which groups or individuals are culpable after which appropriate sanction will be forwarded to the regulator – Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC. “Furthermore, the report will also contain future mitigating measures that would prevent future occurrence of this kind of fatalities.” It further quoted the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, as expressing the deep condolences of the ministry and stakeholders in the power sector to the bereaved family. It will be recalled that the deceased was on her way to the hostel when she was killed by a high tension cable which snapped and fell on her, killing her instantly. This came as the University of Lagos Students Union,ULSU, declared today a Black Friday in honour of the deceased 300 level Accounting student. A family source told Vanguard that parents of the deceased were determined to ensure both the university and the power company were charged for the negligence which resulted in the death of the deceased. The declaration of Black Friday was reportedly sent to all class pages in the university, directing students to assemble at an open space, known as the Faculty of Business Administration quadrangle, clad in black. Vanguard gathered that lectures would not hold in the university today, as part of steps to honour the deceased. It was gathered that the students would also proceed to the bereaved parents’ home to sympathise with them. The source also said that the first phase of the procession took place Wednesday, shortly after the protest. Sources hinted that the procession was a candle light session at the faculty’s quadrangle and that a minute silence was observed for the repose of the soul of the deceased. However, it was discovered that academic activities went on yesterday as usual in other faculties except the Faculty of Business Administration, contrary to reports that the school had been closed indefinitely. Recall that students of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, took to the streets to protest the electrocution of Anekwe Wednesday. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/electrocution-fg-dispatches-technical-team-to-unilag/#sthash.0CORsxN6.dpuf