The mother of four-year-old Olamide Adegbesan, who was killed after the fence of the Mountain Top University fell on her, says the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, the owner of the school, has yet to compensate the family for its loss.
The mother of the deceased, Mrs. Ayobami Adegbesan, said efforts by the family to see the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Daniel Olukoya, had met with resistance from his aides.
She said Olamide’s sibling, nine-year-old Fatimoh, who suffered a fracture during the October 2015 incident, was in dire need of medical attention.
It was reported on October 9, 2015 that the Adegbesans shared fence with MTU in Ilu Oba, Magboro, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The fence had collapsed on the building while the family were sleeping.
While Ayobami and Fatimoh were rescued, Olamide was brought out dead.
Ayobami said after the incident, the family was rendered homeless, as well grappling with the loss of Olamide. She added that Fatimoh suffered a fracture.
She said the church gave the family N390,000 to rent an apartment and N30,000 for clothes.
She said, “It was from that money we also bought a new TV set, a bed sheet, wardrobe and some clothes because we couldn’t get anything from the rubble.
“My husband went to the Ibafo Police Station, where the church promised to rehabilitate and pay us compensation for our losses.
“But since then, MFM has yet to fulfil the promise. We called the person in charge of the case in MFM, Pastor Alewi, and he refused to pick his calls. We went to the headquarters of the church, but we were prevented from seeing the G.O. I heard that we had been paid N10m compensation; it is not true, we are suffering.”
The Ogun State indigene said she had taken Fatimoh to a local doctor for treatment because she could not afford a hospital bill, adding that the local doctor billed the family N10,000.
She said after meeting with one of the chief engineers of the church, she was given N5,000 and asked to come back.
“But when I returned that I needed the balance of N5,000 to pay the doctor for his job, I was queried on how I spent the first N5,000. I explained it was for the drugs, but I was shunned,” she added.
Ayobami, who said the family was in great debt, explained that the house that collapsed was built partly with a loan.
She said, “We built it with a loan which we have yet to repay. My goods, which were mostly children wares, were destroyed in the incident. As a result, I have no more business for now.
“I started washing clothes for people to raise money to pay our creditor. I have not been able to make any payment for four weeks.
“People are not ready to borrow us money. Each time we ask for help, they will say MFM has paid us millions.”
MFM had reconstructed the collapsed house, but the family had yet to move in.
Ayobami said there was no toilet and other facility in the building.
A relative, Alfa Lati Olawale, said it was unfortunate that the church had abandoned the family after they suffered a major blow due to the church’s carelessness.
He said, “I am an Islamic cleric and I have the fear of God. I don’t think this is the way to treat people. It was good that they got them an accommodation, but what about the injured child? What of the dead girl? Is MFM doing this because the family is poor?”
Pastor Alewi, however, denied the allegations of the family, adding that the church was making efforts to satisfy them.
He said, “I always picked their calls. The only time they could not reach me was when I travelled to the United States of America and when the engineer called me to tell me their complaints about the building, I immediately instructed him to build a toilet for them and make the place comfortable. We also have plans to give them money to furnish the place.
“They never said any girl had fracture before now. Recently, they told me about a minor pain and I asked them to take her to the church’s clinic. I said if they are not attended to, they should call me.
“When they demanded money, I told them that we had already made requisition, which you know will still have to go through a process before it is released. There is a budget for every spending. They are not patient; that is their problem.”
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