At last, succour has come the way of Ibijoke
Apena and Janet Eruwayo, two octogenarian sisters abandoned by their
children and relations, as some of their children surfaced on Saturday and
relocated them.
The aged sisters were moved to a private old
people’s home at Jakande Estate, Isolo, Lagos State.
The relocation was spearheaded by Apena’s first
child, Rotimi, a contractor in Abuja and two grandchildren, who craved
anonymity.
The children’s action came on the heels of PUNCH
Metro’s expose on the deplorable state of the aged women last
Friday.
Before the relocation, the octogenarian sisters
were somewhat quarantined to a dingy one-room apartment at 8, Amusan Street,
Rogo, along Iju Ishaga, Lagos.
Their conditions in the isolated room were simply
appalling. The same place they defecated, urinated and did all manner of
things, was where they ate and slept.
Women had first bath in last two months
On Friday when their sad news broke, some
residents of Iju Ishaga trooped out to their residence to satisfy their
curiosity, while others went to offer their support.
On Friday, the aged women had their first bath in
the last two months. Medical personnel from Ancilla Catholic Hospital,
Iju Ishaga, also visited the women and took them to the hospital where they
examined and gave them some drugs.
The women were returned to their residence and
the medical personnel visited them again on Saturday.
When our correspondent visited the Amusan Street
former residence of the octogenarians on Saturday, a reverend sister, in
company with another official of the hospital, was seen cutting the unkempt
hair of the women with razor blade.
An encounter with the old women was indeed
heart-warming as they exuded uncommon joy, sharply in contrast with their
disposition when they were discovered last Tuesday.
Eruwayo told PUNCH Metro that she felt
highly relieved with the show of kindness by people.
Eruwayo said, “Yesterday (Friday), I slept like a
baby. I did not bath in the last two months. I feel relieved and happy that
there are people who still care. May God reward all for their show of love and
kindness.”
On her part, the joy of Apena, knew no bounds, as
her infirmity did not prevent her from pacing up and down, laughing all through.
“As you can see, despite my age, I feel young in
my heart. Those God has used to assist us, may they be blessed mightily,” Apena
said.
Disunity among family caused their
sufferings –Grandchild
One of the grandchildren said the aged sisters
found themselves in the mess because of lack of unity among their children.
He said the immediate children of the sisters,
apart from Rotimi in Abuja, were simply wicked and non-challant.
“If I called some of them about their mothers’
predicament, they would simply bang the phone on me. One of them asked me not
to bother them again,” he said.
He said because of problem in the family, some of
the children decided to change their names in order to avoid any link with
their parents.
He said, “I was a month old when I was handed
over to my grandma, Apena. I lived with her for more than 20 years before I
left them in 2007. It is not that all of us abandoned them. There is a limit to
what we (the grandchildren) can do when our uncles and aunts refuse to reunite
with their mothers.
“Whatever our mothers must have done, they ought
to forget and forgive. My grandmother, Apena, sent all her children abroad for
studies. It is painful they left them uncared for, even when they are highly
blessed.”
Dad said he won’t reconcile with grandma –Grandchild
A granddaughter of Apena, who claimed anonymity,
said her father told her that her grandma did something he would not forget in
his life hence he chose to abandon her.
“I have been begging my dad to reconcile
with grandma but he said over his dead body. My dad is a very rich man and
works with the Customs. He lives in Matogun in Okeifa, Lagos,” she said.
Why church did not relocate them –Member
It was learnt that if not for St. Vincent De Paul
Catholic Church in Iju Ishaga, the elderly sisters would have died since.
Susan Obarighoro, a member of the church, whom
the church Welfare Department, entrusted the care of the aged women to, said
the church approved N2,000 per week for their feeding since January last year.
Obarighoro said, “They are not members of the
church. The church took it upon itself to help since some residents brought
their matter to the church.
“I use the money to prepare their meals. The
church would have relocated them but since none of the family members was seen
to sign, it became difficult to do so.”
A resident, who craved anonymity, commended The PUNCH
for the story on the women, saying it was what triggered a new lease of
life for them.
“As soon as the report came out on Friday, their
residence was agog with all manner of people. The children of these elderly
women are wicked. Only Rotimi and two grandchildren used to come occasionally,”
he said.
PUNCH Metro findings show that the
octogenarians were women of substance before much water passed under the
bridge.
For instance, a family source said the
87-year-old Apena was secretary to late former Premier of Western Region, Chief
Obafemi Awolowo.
He said if not for God and few individuals, the
octogenarians would have died since, stressing that their children abandoned
them more than 20 years ago.
He said, “Apena, apart from working with Awolowo,
also worked with International Affairs. She was an Alhaja before. She travelled
to Mecca, England and many other countries. I was even in England with her.
“The younger sister, Eruwayo, grew up in England.
She was a fashion designer there. What is happening to them is difficult to
comprehend.”
How I became blind – Eruwayo
The 82-year-old Eruwayo told PUNCH Metro
that a daughter-in-law, out of sheer wickedness, mixed hydrogen peroxide to her
eye drop and she became blind in her right eye.
She said, “Initially, I had glaucoma on the left
eye and cataract on the right. I had my surgery in Port Novo, Republic of
Benin. By that time, I was seeing with the aid of eyeglasses but when the HP
was mixed with my eye drop, one of my eyes became totally blind.
“I started managing the remaining eye with my
eyeglasses. The glasses fell down and broke. There was nobody to replace them.
That is why I am not seeing with either of my eyes.”
On her educational qualification and experience
in life, she sighed and said, “Much water has passed under the bridge. I
attended Wesley College in United Kingdom. I had Diploma in Dress Making and
Fashion. I grew up in England. When I finished my education in the 50s, I
became an international fashion designer in England. By that time, my husband
was a diplomat with the United Nations.
“I came back to Nigeria in the late 60s and I was
still shuttling Nigeria, UK and United States for my fashion business.
“I have four children. The name of my eldest son
is Festus. He works with Power Holding Company of Nigeria. He is one of
their bosses.”
Eruwayo lamented disunity in their family, saying
that it was tearing the family apart.
“I urge my children and my sister’s children to
unite. Disunity is tearing us apart,” she said.
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