By Victor Nwegede
In a moment both heart-wrenching and galvanizing, Comrade Emmanuel Nwizi, National President of the Association of Izzi Media Workers and a staff member of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Abakaliki, stood before a sea of mourners last weekend — broken yet dignified — to eulogize his beloved daughter, Miss Chisom Nwizi.
The atmosphere at Offerekpe Inyimagu village in Izzi LGA of Ebonyi State was drenched in sorrow yet thick with powerful lessons — not just about grief, but about national negligence and the urgent call for safety reforms.
“She was my golden diamond,” Nwizi said, his voice cracking under the weight of unimaginable loss. “Part of me has been stolen by death.”
His words echoed deeply — not just as a personal lament, but as a universal cry shared by parents, journalists, traditional leaders, religious groups, and survivors — all gathered to honor a life full of promise, cruelly extinguished.
Though she had been recovering steadily — reportedly up to 90% — her health took a mysterious and fatal turn on April 15, 2025, at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.
The tragedy claimed the lives of seven students and injured several others. Yet what haunts many is the inexplicable nature of the fire.
“The flames consumed human bodies,” Nwizi recounted, “but left a cellophane bag untouched. No evidence of fire remained on the floor. It’s beyond explanation.”
Representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ebonyi State Council — including their Secretary, Comrade Chinaza John, who stood in for the NUJ State Chairman Comrade Samson Nwafor — offered words of comfort but didn’t hold back in their critique.
“This was a preventable death,” John declared. “With a simple fire extinguisher and basic safety protocols, these lives could have been saved. We must never let this happen again.”
The voice of royalty joined the chorus of mourning and caution. HRH Eze Boniface Ezaegu, traditional ruler of Ndiechi Ezza-Inyimegu, painted a sobering picture: “This situation is an eye-opener. People buy gas and place it in their bedrooms without understanding the risks. This isn’t just unfortunate—it’s terrifying.”
Perhaps the most piercing voice came from Ugochi Nkwuda, one of only three survivors of the blast. Shaking with emotion, she thanked God for sparing her life and mourned those who didn’t make it.
“This will stay with me forever. It was a nightmare none of us expected — and few survived," she said.
As mourners wailed and tears flowed like a river, one truth crystallized through the pain: this was not just a family tragedy — it was a societal failure. The burial became more than a farewell; it became a movement. A wake-up call.
Gas safety education. Institutional accountability. Government regulation. Public awareness. These are no longer optional conversations. They are urgent mandates.
As the nation mourns Chisom’s untimely death — after her parents spent over 10 million Naira in a desperate bid to restore her health — we must all resolve that her story, her bright spirit, her devotion to her father, and her dreams cut short, will not be in vain.
“Precaution is the answer,” Nwizi said, a father turned accidental advocate.
Let us listen. “Chisom lives in our hearts. Preventable deaths must end. Gas safety reform should be now!”
Victor Nwegede is an Ebonyi born Journalist and the Publicity Secretary of the Association of Izzi Media Workers.
