While sympathizing with General Ibrahim Babangida over the death of his darling wife, Maryam, I am compelled to recall a portion of my address at the at the public presentation of THE GATEKEEPERS on December 16, 2009 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos when I observed inter alia:
“The Pius Okigbo Panel revealed that the Ibrahim Babangida junta diverted the huge sum of $12.2 Billion from the Dedicated Accounts in the Central Bank from 1998-1992. If a little part of the stolen wealth had been channeled towards the improvement of the health sector Nigerians would have had access to affordable and qualitative health care delivery system. But since that was not done the former military president himself had to be flown to Paris , France where he underwent surgery for radiculopathy when he was in power. Right now, his wife, Mrs. Maryam Babangida is receiving treatment for cancer in a foreign hospital.
Even though Nigeria made more petrol dollar during the Olusegun Obasanjo years than any other period in her history the Federal Government neglected the health sector. It was so bad that government officials and other privileged citizens had to travel abroad to treat all manners of ailment. The President’s wife, Mr. Stella Obasanjo lost her precious life in the hands of quack doctors in Spain . The leader of the team of doctors has since been convicted and ordered to pay compensation of $120,000.00 to the son of the deceased.
During the presidential campaign in 2007 Governor Umaru Yaradua was rushed to a German hospital to treat catarrh! When it was rumoured that he had died President Obasanjo called him on phone. As soon as Alhaji Yaradua denied the ugly rumour President Obasanjo who was then at a campaign rally at Abeokuta, Ogun State sang a song taken from Psalm 35 which goes thus: “Awon to nniwa lara Baba, niwon lara ” (O God, take up our case with them that subject us to harassment). Regrettably, the press did not take up the challenge of finding out why President Obasanjo was imposing an ailing successor on the nation.
No doubt, the enormity of the functions of the office has further impaired President Yaradua’s health. But apart from the 6 billion naira collected from agencies and contractors of the government by the President’s wife, Mrs. Turai Yaradua, for the building of a cancer centre at Abuja the Administration has not addressed the enormous financial costs and security implications of taking the country’s leaders to foreign hospitals for medical attention.
However, it may interest Nigerians to know that President Fidel Castro who resigned in 2006 on account of ill health has never been flown out of Cuba even though he has undergone very complex surgical operations. Yet, the mainstay of the Cuban economy is sugarcane. The tiny island which has 27,000 health workers including 18,000 doctors in 74 countries is not aspiring to be in the G20. The Press should therefore take advantage of the President’s ill health to ensure that our hospitals are developed to take care of the medical challenges faced by all Nigerians”.
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