ABEG GREET Prof. Michael Ibadin. Fire guts ex-UBTH CMD’s home, destroys certificates

Fire has gutted the residence of the immediate past Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Michael Ibadin, in the Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

Punch gathered that the fire, which began at about 7:30pm on Thursday, razed the top floor of the building located at the University of Benin senior staff quarters in the Ugbowo axis.

Sources said that the incident might have been triggered by a power surge as no sooner had a generator serving the building been turned on than the fire started.

 It was, however, gathered that no life was lost, even as efforts by the fire service units of the university and the teaching hospital could not save the situation as several property worth millions of naira were said to have been destroyed.

 Some of the items affected include certificates and vital documents, said to belong to Ibadin.

 It was, however, learnt that the fire was later put out by fire fighters from the Nigerian Army.

 A visit to the scene showed some members of the family counting their loss as they tried to retrieve what they could from the charred debris.

While lamenting his loss, the former CMD, explained, “I just returned home at about 7pm and there was a blackout and I directed that the generator be put on. Some minutes after the generator was switched on, I saw fumes coming from one of the rooms.

“I immediately switched off the generator and took out my fire extinguisher to combat the fire with the help of neighbours and some security men in my house. I also immediately contacted the fire service station within the university campus, which is the closest to my house and that of the UBTH.

Ibadin, a Professor of Paediatrics, bemoaned what he described as the tardy response of the UNIBEN fire service, which he said ran out of water after operating for five minutes.

 “Their (UNIBEN fire fighters) efforts were not good enough as I was not impressed at all with their poor response to the emergency. It was the military fire fighters who came at the last minute that actually put out the fire after the UNIBEN and UBTH fire service stations were helpless,” he complained.

The former CMD continued, “But the response of fire service in UNIBEN and UBTH was tardy. Again, maybe it is an eye-opener to the university.

 “The UNIBEN fire service was the first I contacted because they are closest to my house. While they were battling to stop the fire, I called for the UBTH fire fighters, just in case they (UNIBEN) were overwhelmed.

 “I think some good neighbours also called the Edo State Fire Service and the Nigerian Army Fire Service to come to my rescue. But nothing much was done.”

The visibly distraught professor lamented that the fire razed all he had toiled for, even as he disclosed that his wife lost about N2 million, which was kept in her room.

He said, “I lost everything I ever worked for in life, including my certificates and other vital documents and my clothes. I could not remove anything from my rooms, not even my telephone set.

“Everything was completely burnt down. My entire three bedrooms were not spared in the fire outbreak, but I thank God no life was lost. I am aware my wife lost close to N2m in the fire that engulfed her bedroom in the house.

 “I did not have much cash in my room; the best I would have in my room is, maybe, N10,000. The loss was mainly my documents, books and clothes.”badan added: “I losted everything I ever worked for in life, including my certificates, and other vital documents and my clothes. I couldn’t remove anything from my rooms, not even my handset, every thing was completely burnt down. My entire three bedrooms was not spared in the fire outbreak, but I thank God no life was lost.