Abia Government To Cover Medical Expenses Of Billboard Accident Victims

The Abia State Government has announced it will cover the medical expenses of victims involved in the recent billboard collapse in Aba.

This was disclosed on Thursday by Mrs. Victoria Onwubiko, Managing Director of the Abia State Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSAA), during her visit to the accident site at the Salad Market entrance in Aba.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the tragic incident occurred on Wednesday when a large billboard, toppled by strong winds, fell on passengers in five tricycles. The accident claimed one life and left seven others injured.

Onwubiko said the governor had promptly approved necessary procedures to ensure the victims receive treatment without delays.

“So, we are glad there are not going to be any more deaths; from what we have seen, the victims in the hospital are recovering and doing well. We understand that about eight persons were involved in the accident; five are at the Abia University Teaching Hospital, two have been discharged, and one has died,” she said.

She further stated that the governor had dispatched his chief of staff to oversee the proper management of the victims’ treatment at ABSUTH, Aba.

According to her, there is no hope that any one of them will go to the court, as the state government is doing everything to take care of them.

In response to the incident, Onwubiko emphasized the agency’s commitment to preventing such occurrences in the future.

“We are going to ask the owners of sites like this to give us the technical drawings with which they built their sites. If we don’t see them, the billboard will come down for them to redo it to ensure safety,” she said.

She added that any structure, regardless of height, that is deemed unsound will be taken down.

Mr. Chinedu Nwibo, a vulcanizer and eyewitness, recounted the events of the accident.

“We were inside a little makeshift shop I had set up for my work when the rain started on Wednesday. The wind was very boisterous, and some of the tricycle operators went into their tricycles to stay for the rain to stop. No sooner had they run into their tricycles than a big iron pipe used to hoist a billboard fell on them. One Destiny Uguru, 27, from Izzi in Ebonyi state, died from the accident, while seven persons sustained injuries,” he said.

Nwibo urged the government to provide further support to the victims, including the replacement of damaged tricycles.

“The man that lost his life has an expectant wife and two children,” he said.