MIDDLE BELT FORUM MOURNS DR. MAILAFIA, RECOUNTS SHODDY TREATMENT OF LATE NATIONALIST BY NIGERIAN DOCTORS
By Nnamdi Okosieme
As Nigerians continue to mourn the death on Saturday of Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, a 2019 presidential candidate and former Deputy Governor with the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Middle Belt Forum has described his passing a huge shock.
The Forum in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by Dr. Inuwa Dogo, said Dr. Mailafia’s death has dealt a blow to the many ethnic nationalities on whose behalf he fought relentlessly to entrench justice and peace in Nigeria.
The Forum said in the state that following from enquiries from Nigerians over circumstances that led to the death of the statesman and scholar, it was making available to the Nigerian public, information about the movement of the late Dr. Mailafia in the last one week before his death.
“Arising from various enquiries from Nigerians over the circumstances of his death, the Forum wishes to state as follows: That Dr Mailafia arrived Abuja last Sunday September 12, 2021 from Akure and was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by his wife.
“On arrival at home, the wife noticed he was not in the best of health conditions and seemed to be suffering from malaria. After three days of treatment without signs of improvement, he went to the CBN Hospital on Friday September 17, 2021 where he was shabily treated. It took the intervention of a senior medic who immediately placed him on oxygen and admitted him”, the statement said.
Going further, the Forum said Dr Mailafia’s was later given the option of choosing three hospitals: Gwagwalada Hospital, National Hospital and EHA Clinics. It said his wife opted for the third choice.
“On arrival at the EHA Clinics, the wife was subjected to yet another moment of anxiety as it took a direct order from the top management of the hospital to accept him.After few hours of treatment, the EHA Clinics told the wife that it was expedient to transfer the former CBN Deputy Governor to Gwagwalada as the clinic was not fully equipped to handle the case.
“The wife opposed the decision and insisted that she was opposed to the idea of taking her husband to Gwagwalada. Mailafia’s wife only succumbed when the consultant assured her that nothing bad will happen to her husband.
“Yesterday, Saturday September 18, 2021, Dr Obadiah was transfered to Gwagwalada. on arrival, the name of the doctor that was billed to attend to Dr Mailafia was not on duty. Even when an attempt was made by foreign health consultants to save the situation, the doctor on duty got angry and said he was not obligated to listen to any foreign consultants that had been brought into the matter with the sole purpose of ensuring nothing goes wrong. Wife of the former CBN Deputy Governor was asked to pay the sum of N600’000 as deposit even when it was a referral case, with accruing medical bill to be settled by the CBN.
“At a point,Dr Mailafia complained over his breathing problems and pleaded with the doctors to place him in a ventilator. The doctors flatly refused,” the statement said.
Continuing, the Forum said that even after the doctors declared Dr. Mailafia dead, foreign consultants who were brought into the matter through Dr Mailafia’s son that is living abroad, had directed a family member who is a medical professional, with the wife of the CBN Deputy Governor, to mount pressure on the chest of Dr. Mailafia for resuscitation and thereafter place him on a life support.
“The doctors in Gwagwalada refused all entreaties by the family members of Dr Mailafia to follow the advice of the foreign consultants, insisting that they have already pronounced him dead. Even when the wife could feel the pulse of her husband, the doctor flatly declared there was nothing they could do since they had already pronounced him dead.
“While the above narration sums up the circumstances under which Dr Mailafia died, we still await the result of the actual cause of his death. As a nationalist and patriot that he was, Dr. Mailafia was completely dedicated to the emancipation of ethnic nationalities from the clutches of oppression. The economist was never afraid to speak truth to power just as he remained committed to the enthronement of justice and equity to all citizens across ethnic and religious divides”, the Forum said.
It noted that In the twilight of his life, Dr. Mailafia beamed his searchlight on the raging insecurity ravaging the country, expressing regrets over government’s incapacity to rein in the activities of insurgents and criminal groups terrorising the nation.
The Forum stated that a former presidential candidate in the 2019 poll, Dr Mailafia sought to deploy politics to bring about the dream he had for his country and even after he lost the election, he never let down the bar in demanding for a fair treatment for all Nigerians.
“The Forum recalls his patriotic zeal in standing up for truth and justice. He was never a letdown in being at the forefront of showing the way for national greatness as he was willing to lay down his life for Nigeria.
“The Forum is inspired by his altruistic disposition and contributions to national development. We remain proud of his footprints on the political, economic and social sands of our nation”, the statement said.
The Forum commiserated with Dr. Mailafia’s immediate family members and prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the pain of his irreparable loss.
“The death of Dr Mailafia today represents a dark day for not only only the Middle Belt but also for all citizens who yearn for a new dawn for justice in Nigeria”, the Forum said.
