Mr. Umoru Imokha Abdulahi, whose wife’s medical bills was allegedly offset by Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, after the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH’s) detention has opened up, claiming that his family did not get such a gesture from the governor.
Recall that after media report of the detention of Abdullahi’s wife and child for the family inability to offset the medical bill of N330,000, Edo State governor, Okpehbolo, reportedly ordered the immediate offset of Abdullahi’s family bills at the UBTH.
In a statement announcing the offset of the bills which was signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Fred Itua some days ago, Okpebholo, represented at the UBTH by his Special Adviser on Health Matters, Precious Ogboru, and Executive Assistant, James Iorkusah, was said to have offset the medical bills of a family which the statement addressed as Innocent Akpan as against Umoru Imokha Abdulahi’s.
The CPS statement reads: “The governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Health Matters, Precious Ogboru, and Executive Assistant, James Iorkusah, visited the mother and her newborn at UBTH and emphasized the state government’s commitment to the health and welfare of its citizens, especially the vulnerable.”
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It added: “The affected family, led by Mr. Innocent Akpan, expressed deep appreciation to the governor for the timely intervention.
“According to Akpan, his wife, Mercy Bassy, and their newborn had been detained for over two weeks due to unpaid medical bills.”
However, reacting to the alleged offset of the medical bills, Abdullahi said he did not receive a dime from the governor, adding that his family was suddenly chased out of the ward like common thieves.
Abdullahi, who spoke in pidgin at the secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State council, said: “The governor no pay us any money. The 200,000 wey I first pay, when I come reach house, my wife come dey call me say them come they meet her dey threaten her say nah me want draw their legs come outside (this must have been after media report of the detention by UBTH).
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“So, the CMD wey me dey beg ever since and welfare wen dem no listen, wey dey even dey cause me say na me wey no get money want born baby, before I know, I don see my baby things with my wife for outside. Dem still collects the N40,000. wey dey my hand.
“After that dem come dey pursue us ‘go, go, go’ like say we thieve something. Ever since then my wife no get herself. Them don earlier write some drips and injection, but dem no give us.
“We get the information say governor dey come on that Thursday. We want take style wait, but dem carry me and my wife to the CMD office after dem pursue us, and before we come back another person don dey on the bed. Na later the day we hear say governor come and pay our bills. But before God and man, N5 we no receive. Na the money wey I pay earlier dem take discharge my family.
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“One man still call me on phone and say me na ungrateful human being, say him send N400,000, but I no fit say thank you. He say him name na Monday. Him say him be businessman from Asaba. Na UBTH account him send am to, because I no see anything on my account.”
Abdullahi, who said he has nothing currently doing after being sacked at his place of work, appealed to UBTH to release any money meant for his family, just as he begged well-to-do Nigerians to come to his aid.
Contacted on the phone by journalists, UBTH Public Relations Officer, Joshua Uwaila, used questions to answer journalists’ questions, and eventually referred journalists to the government house to get their story.
