A Cry For Help

Mrs. Yavihi Akuma who sustained multiple injuries in an accident caused by a truck belonging to Seven Up Bottling Company has called on the company to save her from the throes of death by paying her hospital bill


By Sunday Ogli

Yavihi Akuma and Mlumun Aba were looking forward to good business as they were coming back from Tyortyu, a village market located along Makurdi-Gboko road on September 15 where they had gone to buy some goods to replenish their stocks. But an accident involving the vehicle they were travelling in and a truck belonging to Seven UP Bottling Company that day, ended their expectations. Today, Akuma and Aba are on life string at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi following injuries they sustained in the accident. The duo were among the other traders who had gone to Tyortyu to buy vegetables, tomatoes and pepper, which they sell to earn a living, before the Toyota Liteace bus they chartered ran into the Seven-UP truck returning from Enugu. The truck was said to be making a sudden U-turn into the company's depot located along Makurdi-Gboko road against traffic rule. The Toyota Liteace was badly damaged while Akuma who is the chairperson of the Tomato and Vegetable Traders Association at the High Level market and other traders sustained various degrees of injuries. The driver of the trailer who ran away after parking the truck, was later arrested by the police and detained at the police E Division located at Akpehe.
When this magazine visited the hospital, some of the victims had been discharged except Akuma and Aba who sustained serious injuries. Akuma was in a very pathetic condition. Her left leg which was badly damaged was stitched in several places. A medical officer who did not want her name in print told this magazine that the leg could become gangrenous as Akuma lacks the resources to manage its condition. The accident was also said to have affected her heart and lungs due to multiple fractures she sustained on her right hand and ribs. The multiple fractures was said to have led to serious internal bleeding in Akuma's chest chamber.
Rosemary, one of Akuma's seven children who takes care of her mother in the hospital told this magazine that the accident has thrown the family into a serious predicament since her mother is the bread winner. Her father, according to her is very old and has since retired to the village. “Now we cannot feed. We cannot even pay the medical bill for mama,” lamented Rosemary. Rosemary also lamented that Seven-Up has not sent any of its representatives to the hospital to assist the family in treating her mother since the accident happened. “We are disappointed; seriously disappointed that seven-up has refused to come to our aid given their role in this accident. They have behaved as if they want our mother to die,” said Rosemary.
The driver, Moses Dare is equally calling for assistance. Dare who owns the damaged bus said he now lives on charity since the damage caused to the bus is beyond his ability to repair. He lamented that his children have dropped out of school due to his inability to pay their school fees.
When Newsworld visited the depot, the depot manager was said to have travelled to Lagos. An official of the depot who spoke to the magazine on the condition of anonymity said the incident has been relayed to his superiors in Enugu after which a transport officer was sent to Makurdi to assess the situation. “I do not know why it is taking them so long to respond to the emergency,” he wondered.
Rosemary is therefore appealing to the general public to help her mother by getting Seven-Up to live up to its corporate social responsibility and save her mother from the throes of death.