POST CARD FROM LONDON
Post Card 1 - SUICIDE
This will be my first post card from London to you posted on this blog. I hope that you will be happy getting it. I’m writing from the Nottingham, a city synonymous with Robin Hood, Gun Violence, The Goose Fair Festival etc. I will not delve into these issues now but in subsequent post cards.
Yours sincerely, weathered the early morning cold to the bus stop to catch a bus to work. A few meters from the bus stop were a crowd, gathered for nothing else but to urge a disgruntled middle aged man not to jump from the 6th floor of a multi-storey building.
I went closer, and got a glimpse of the man whom I presumed received Government benefits (get paid weekly for doing nothing). He looked healthy and well-kept. I was informed that he lost his job and also his marriage crashed; which means he was homeless.
I cast my mind back to Nigeria, and tried to reason how it will look if the scenario were taking place somewhere in Aba. No one would give a damn about him and also the Police also be athand waiting to throw him into the cell if he fails to take the jump invariably incurring bail bill for his family. If he jumps, the number of people will reduce and people must drink at his funeral.
I risked missing my bus and stayed back to see the end of the "movie". At the end of the day, he reached an agreement with the government negotiator via his cell phone not to jump and he was promised a Council flat (rent at no cost). He promised to go for counselling which the government will also pay for. The Paramedics took him down from the angle he stood to the jubilation of his friend and family while I got to work late.
There are many things for us to learn from this, among is that our Government should create a Paramedic department. Train and equip them to quickly respond to emergency situations in order to save lives.
Eze Olumba
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