Death of YemiThePlug: Protesters call for #Justice for Yemi

…University of Port Harcourt to be shutdown

Eric Olusesan/Port Harcourt

Protesters of the death of Odeyemi Michael Folurusho, a Social Media influencer, also known as YemiThePlug who died on Tuesday at University of Port Harcourt Hospital, UPTH, have filed  an online petition with #Justice for Yemi University of Port Harcourt to be shutdown”.

The Campaigners for Justice for Odeyemi has been filed as an online petition on Change.org. call a total shutdown of the hospital.

Even though the the Management of UPTH claim that preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was rushed to the Accident and Emergency dead, but those campaigning for justice for the Late blogger insist that he was alive.

However, fresh facts have also emerged that the late Odeyemi Michael Folurusho is said to be the only son of a Deputy Director in the Nursing Department at UPTH.

The management of the hospital confirmed details of his parentage in it’s first official press statement signed by its Acting Publicity Public Relations Officer of UPTH, Elabha Meni.

Recall that Protesters who were mainly friends and Neighbours of the deceased had blocked the UPTH gate yesterday. They were miffed by the claim that Odeyemi would have been alive but for negligence of the Staff and Nurses at Accident and Emergency Ward.

It was claimed that at the time the Social Media influencer was rushed to the hospital at about 4 am yesterday, Tuesday November 29, for emergency medical attention, he was abandoned and with excuse  that there was no Oxygen. He was later confirmed dead about 6am.

The management of the Hospital have expressed sympathy to the friends and family of  YemiThePlug.

The Acting Spokesman of UPTH, Elabha Meni, in a statement said the hospital witnessed a large turnout of friends who have been asking about the circumstances which led to the death of the influencer whose real name is Odeyemi Michael Folorunsho.

Our Correspondent reports that the campaigners have garnered 3,893 signatures out of 5,000 target less than 24 hours after it was launched.

Change.org platform is for mobilising supporters, and working with decision makers to drive solutions to burning issues affecting the citizens.

Under Change.org, Petition starters and supporters cut across more than 200 million people in 196 countries are creating change in their communities. Decision makers at the highest levels of government and business use the forum engaging with their constituents and consumers.

However, UPTH management assuring that it has started actions to ascertain the true position of things. It said a preliminary report showed that the patient was brought in dead.

It, however, said it has started to investigate and attend to the matter appropriately, and empathised with the mother of the deceased, who is also a Deputy Director in the Nursing Department at UPTH.

Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee, UPTH, Prof. Lucky Onotai said that the report he got was that the report he got from Head of the Nursing Unit was that the patient was brought to the Accident and Emergency Ward of the hospital dead.

” The report was that the student had an Asthmatic attack in his lodge, he tried to apply inhaler which did not work and before they could rush him to the hospital, he was already dead.

“As it is procedural in an apex hospital like ours, a panel will be set to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the patient. There will not be any coverups.”

However, students of the institution complain that they have lost not a few fellow students in the recent past. They allege that deaths are due to delays based on insistence of the Nurses on duty that the IDs of the patient and certain amounts of money must be deposited first before treatments are administered.