There is outrage in South Africa over the
late release of bodies of the over 84 nationals who died in the Synagogue
Church building collapse in Ikotun, on the Lagos outskirts on September 12.
In all, 116 people died in the disaster into
which the Lagos State government has initiated an inquest.
There was still no news on when the bodies
will be returned home, a South African government spokesperson was quoted as
saying yesterday.
“We still don’t know. Even as we speak now
the laboratory (in Lagos) has not given us an update,” Phumla Williams said.
“We reckon by end of the week there will be
some information. You see, they are not commissioned by us, they are
commissioned by the Nigerian government. So they are reporting directly to the
Nigerian government, not to us.”
The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Olawale Oke, said DNA samples for
identification of the 116 victims had been concluded.
He said the hospital sent the specimens to
South Africa and was awaiting the results of the analyses.
Oke said: “You are aware that an inquest is
on now; so, there is limit to what I can tell you about this.
“I can tell you that the Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital has collected the samples of family members of victims
of the collapsed building for DNA testing at a Pathology and Forensic Medicine.
“This is to ensure that all victims of the
collapsed building are properly identified and delivered to their various
families for burial rites.
“The DNA is being done free.
“Because 80 per cent of the victims were
South Africans, for us to take a specimen from the relations, you have to bring
at least two relatives from South Africa to Nigeria.
“So, the state decided to select a laboratory
in South Africa that is equally competent to do the DNA so that 80 per cent of
the relations who are South Africans could have their specimens taken.
“The specimens of their Nigerian victims have
been flown to South Africa.
“The post-mortem for all of them have been
conducted, the dental recognition process done, X-rays have been done where
necessary; so, we are just waiting for the results to be out.”
LASUTH Board Chairman Dr Francis Williams
said the hospital had the capacity to effectively manage crises and emergencies
within the state.
On October 12, South African newspaper City
Press quoted a Nigerian medical examiner as saying the bodies would be
taken from Lagos by month end.
“We are looking at three weeks,” Prof John
Obafunwa, was quoted as saying.
“I would be surprised if we had to wait till
November… I expect all bodies to be out by that time. The inquest could drag on
for weeks and months. But we’re not going to delay the release of bodies to
family members because of that.”
The Inkatha Freedom Party yesterday
criticised the Nigerian government for the delay.
“This is disheartening and this clearly shows
a lack of ubuntu. One can imagine the agony of the families who have been
waiting for several weeks for their loved ones to be brought back home,” the
party’s national chairperson Blessed Gwala said.
“The Nigerian government must respond in the
spirit of ubuntu by speeding up the process of the DNA testing and the
bodies must be sent back home without any further delay.”
Gwala said families in South Africa had to
postpone funerals because they did not have the bodies.
“Whenever there is death there are rituals
and cultural norms that need to be observed, but these families are being
denied this.”
A group of pastors called the Mahikeng
Ministers Fellowship called on Nigerian authorities to expedite the
repatriation of the bodies.
“We are concerned that until the (families)
have mourned and buried their loved ones in dignity, families… will not find
closure to carry on with their lives,” the group’s chairman, Zandisile Mpame,
said in a statement.
He said it was unacceptable that the
identification and repatriation of the bodies had still not been completed
after 40 days.
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