Exam levy made me to become a conductor ─ Accident victim

Seventeen-year-old Owolabi Oladunjoye, who was rescued by a Good
Samaritan after an accident on the Third Mainland Bridge, has said he
became a bus conductor to raise funds for his school certificate
examinations.
He was presented with an undisclosed sum of money by the management of
the St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos on Friday, after he was discharged
from the hospital, which had taken responsibility for his treatment
and welfare since the incident happened.
A source had reported on January 23 that an accident occurred on the
Third Mainland Bridge, in which no fewer than 14 people were rushed to
the Lagos Island General Hospital for treatment.
In a follow-up report, our correspondent learnt that two of the
victims were taken to the St. Nicholas Hospital, which received them
without collecting any money.
While one of the victims was revived and was identified and visited by
his relatives, Owolabi was said to have been unconscious and efforts
to locate his family had proved abortive.
After he came round three weeks later, a worker with the hospital,
Rasak Yusuf, went to Oshodi and after much effort, found a relative.
The victim's mother, Rahmot, who travelled down from Ede, Osun State,
had told the source that he absconded from home.
The management of the St. Nicholas Hospital on Friday released him
from the hospital after certifying him fit and stable.
Owolabi, while recounting the incident said, "I lost my father in 1994
and things became hard for my family. I struggled and worked to feed
myself.
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"When I was to write my final school exams, I felt I should come down
to Lagos to work and raise money for my exam. I needed N4,000 for the
exam so I ran from home without telling my mother where I was going.
"I came to Oshodi and became a bus conductor after my friend
introduced me to the job. On the day of the incident, we were on the
Third Mainland Bridge, going to Oshodi, and I was seated. All I can
remember was that there was a collision and I lost consciousness. I
then found myself here (hospital)."
His mother, Rahmot, while fighting back tears, appealed for help for
Owolabi to complete his education and receive sponsorship.
"I thank everyone who has been kind to us and helped Owolabi without
knowing who gave birth to him. All we are asking for is help for his
education," the mother of five said.
The Administration Manager of the hospital, Kunle Bamigboye, on behalf
of the hospital management, presented the family with an undisclosed
sum of money as "our support for his education."
A member of the surgical team that attended to Owolabi, Sola Faloun,
said he would need to return to the hospital in a few weeks' time for
final checks.
She said, "When he was brought in, it was an emergency. We had two
doctors who attended to him. We conducted CT scan on him, did X-ray,
and sent him to the Intensive Care Unit.
"We had to place him on a breathing machine. He had a broken jaw,
several lacerations, and we had to bring in a neurosurgeon to attend
to him."
The Deputy Matron of the St. Nicholas Hospital, Mrs. Iyabo Ojikutu,
said the victim's survival was a miracle, urging other hospitals in
the country to emulate the hospital.
The General Manager of the hospital, Ms. D. Claude-Enin, during a chat
with our correspondent, said the hospital placed value on lives more
than money.
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