Connect with us

News

University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital debunks claim 14 babies died due to power outage

Published

on

The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) has denied a viral claim on social media that 14 babies died in its special care baby unit due to a power outage

A viral post on social media claims that not less than 14 babies died in incubators at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) due to a power outage.

In a tweet thread, which has now been deleted, Chijioke Ekwulu, a Twitter user, said the irregular power supply at the hospital also disrupted surgery procedures.

“No less than 14 babies have died at the incubator of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH due to power outage. This is as some patients at the hospital said some surgery procedures have also been suspended due to irregular power supply,” the tweet read.

The tweet, posted on July 1, gathered over 3,100 retweets, 1,120 quotes, and over 3,000 likes before it was deleted.

Standard Observers, a news publication, also published the claim.

The report archived here referenced a mother who lost her twin babies to the power outage, after being childless for seven years.

“A medical officer at the hospital who spoke to Standardobservers on the conditions of anonymity said among the dead babies were the twin babies of a woman who had been looking for the fruit of the womb for seven years,” the report read.

Newsmen contacted Lucky Onotai, professor and chairman of the medical advisory committee, UPTH, to confirm the veracity of the story.

He dismissed the claims and said, “nothing like that happened”.

“I don’t know why people like to thrive on fake news. I have said this before, nothing like that happened. People just want to tarnish the hospital’s name,” he said.

He, however, confirmed there were some “transformer issues” but insisted it did not affect the special baby care unit, where the incubators are kept.

“Yes, there was a power outage, but there are special departments that have dedicated generators on standby. One of them is the special baby care unit. It is impossible for power to go out that long. If anyone died, why haven’t the mothers come forward?” he said.

According to Onotai, “the hospital’s PRO has also confirmed that it is fake news. We receive hospital statistics every day, but nothing of such has happened. People like to spread false news like a wildfire in a dry harmattan.”

Best Ordinoha, a professor and doctor at UPTH, also refuted the claim.

News

Realtor goes missing after being called to check property in Lagos

Published

on

By

A 43-year-old man identified as Jimi Folarin, a realtor, has gone missing after being called by a client to inspect properties in the Imota area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

According to his sister, Iremide Omowunmi, Folarin left the house at exactly 4 PM on Wednesday for the property inspection and has not answered his phone since.

She stated, “At about 4 PM, my brother called me to say that the clients he was waiting for had contacted him to come and inspect the properties. This was exactly at 4 PM.

“My brother is a real estate agent who sells land and assists people in buying land. Around 5 PM, I tried calling him to see if he had arrived, but although the phone rang, he did not pick up. I thought maybe he was busy with the clients, so I stopped calling. It wasn’t until 10 PM that I tried reaching him again, but he still didn’t respond. I then texted him on WhatsApp, but he didn’t reply either, which is unlike him.

“While I was calling him, my brother’s friend was also trying to reach him. After a while, a strange number called my brother’s friend, asking who he wanted to speak to. When my brother’s friend questioned the caller, they immediately hung up.

“This morning, I called that strange number, and the person answered. But when I asked for Folarin, my brother, they abruptly ended the call. I have reported the case to the Gbogbo Police Station in Ikorodu,” she added.

Continue Reading

News

NSIB locates wreckage of crashed helicopter in Port Harcourt

Published

on

By

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says its search and recovery teams have successfully located the wreckage of the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter that crash-landed in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

In a statement on Thursday, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, NSIB’s director of public affairs and family assistance, said the wreckage was identified during recovery dives conducted on Wednesday night.

The helicopter, operated by Eastwind Aviation and carrying eight individuals, had crash-landed off the coast of Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean on October 24.

The ministry of aviation and aerospace development confirmed that three bodies were recovered, while search and rescue operations continued in a bid to locate the remaining passengers.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited had said it hired the helicopter to its floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base in Port Harcourt.

Reacting to the accident on October 25, President Bola Tinubu directed military officers involved in various operations in Port Harcourt to join the search for passengers of the ill-fated aircraft.

Tinubu asked the military officers to provide the necessary support needed by the NSIB, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and other relevant agencies.

In a statement yesterday, the NSIB said a fifth body was recovered from the site of the crash in Rivers, adding that the body recovered required specialised handling due to its decomposed state.

Giving updates on the search mission, Oladeji said preparations are ongoing for the helicopter’s recovery to support further investigation.

“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) announces that the allied team and partners leading the charge for the search and recovery efforts of the ditched Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, registration 5N BQG, have located its wreckage,” the statement reads.

“The wreckage was identified during last night’s recovery dives, approximately 0.775 nautical miles from the FPSO Adoon. It was located at a depth of 42 meters, with coordinates registered at Latitude 04° 13.634′ N and Longitude 008° 19.442′ E.

“Preparations are currently underway for the helicopter’s recovery to support further investigation.”

Alex Badeh, the director-general of NSIB, commended the allied team and partners leading the search and recovery efforts.

“Locating the wreckage is a critical milestone in our efforts to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic accident,” Badeh said.

“The dedication and cooperation shown by all involved parties have been exceptional, and we are determined to conduct a thorough investigation to provide clarity and closure to the families of those affected.”

Badeh reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to working closely with national and international partners to carry out the recovery and investigative process, in line with its mandate to enhance transportation safety in Nigeria.

Continue Reading

News

Sanwo-Olu to receive democracy award in Tanzania

Published

on

By

The Association of Political Consultants Africa (APCA) has nominated Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, for the 2023 Democracy Award.

In a statement on Thursday, the organisation said the award recognises political leaders who have made significant strides in democratic leadership, development, and governance.

Temitope Lakisokun, APCA chairperson in Nigeria, said Sanwo-Olu has “demonstrated exceptional leadership by building the capacity of state secretaries and improving governance structures within Lagos state”.

She added that his efforts have set a benchmark for effective governance and democratic practices in Nigeria.

The award will be presented at the 7th Africa political summit & diamond awards billed for December 11-14 at Lux Marijani, Zanzibar in Tanzania.

Past recipients of the award include President Bola Tinubu, President William Ruto of Kenya and Abiy Ahmed, prime minister of Ethiopia.

Political leaders, consultants, and stakeholders from across the continent and beyond are expected at the event.

Continue Reading

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

Most Read...