“Is it not a common knowledge that former South African President, Late Nelson Mandela built better health care structure that aided his life time health challenges till death. His health was properly managed by South African best Doctors; he was never flew abroad but died in his ancestors’ land.”
By Mark Orgu, News/Comments
Commentary-Unfortunately, Nigeria lost one of the most disinterested materialistic leader of all time. Yes, July 13, 2025 will remain as evergreen in the minds of most Nigerians when one of its privileged leaders, General Muhammadu Buhari rtd died in London hospital on a long managed protracted ill-health not disclosed by family and the Nigerian government.
A former Military head of state who seized power by military coup in 1983, and later a democratically elected president, 2015-2019, 2019-2023. Same privilege former President Olusegun Obasanjo enjoyed at the start of the country’s civil rule in 1999.
In the case of Obasanjo, there was no military coup in his presidency in 1976, but his late wife, Chief Stella Obasanjo joined the league of leaders who embarked on medical tourism and never returned back alive. In her own case, it was on a cosmetic surgery in Spain in 2005, and unfortunately, things went wrong and she died there.
Another famous personality was Prof. Beko Ransome Kuti, known for his rascality and activism against military rule. Kuti was known for global health advocacy and the one who initiated national health policy as a way of strengthening primary health care delivery system. He was a good physician but he had to sort for medical attention in London due to lack of specialist to manage his health challenges burdening on lung cancer. He died in 2006 there.
Regrettably, one of the well respected scholars, Dr. Ibrahim Tahir after a protracted undisclosed ailment passed on in Cairo, Egypt. According to Daily Trust, Dr. Tahir suffered from diabetes for many years and was hospitalised at the National Hospital, Abuja for more than a year before being flew abroad until he died in 2009. He was a sociologist, writer and politician.
On the part of former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Brig. General Oviemo Ovadje rtd, Ex-Medical Director, Ikoyi Military Hospital, gave detailed insights on how Yar’Adua died in Saudi-Arabia in 2010.
“ The late former president, Alhaji Musa Yar’dua suffered brain damage from severe asphyxia due to ignorance and poor management. The presence of a sophisticated air and land ambulance did not prevent him from dying from his condition just as the hospital in Saudi-Arabia with sophisticated gadgets could not reverse the damage done to his brain during an acute deterioration of his health. He suffered an acute relapse of his condition.”
Another account the General gave was another Army General, who was a Minister of Agriculture under the second term of president Obasanjo. Late chief Afolabi who also undertook medical tourism due to his ill-health, (Asthmatic attacks)
Four years later, the revered former Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs and Administration, (NAFDAC), and Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili died in India while undergoing treatment on cancer in India, that was in 2014.
In 2017, former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme died in London Hospital. It was reported that he collapsed at his home town, Enugu before being taken to London for treatment but never returned alive. A year later, a former governor of Nasarawa State, Aliyu Akwe Doma gave up the ghost while receiving treatment in Israel.
The recent one was the death of a business mogul and politician, Sen. Ifeanyi Uba, died in London as sources reported that, Uba underwent a gastric bypass, as means of weight loss by trying to reduce the manner stomach and unit intestine process food. Sadly, the surgery wasn’t successful.
Instructively, many of the Nigerian leaders and even the affluent have remained victims of their hypocrisy and negligence. In fact, the death of President Buhari in London hospital also further embarrassed Nigeria as a country when a former Military Head of State, Major-General Abdulsalami Abubakar rtd spoke to Channels Television on Buhari’s death, saying he had only just been discharged when the news of Buhari’s death reached him.
“We were actually in the same hospital,” he said. “I had been discharged, and not long after, I heard the sad news. I went over to condole with the family and help with arrangements to prepare his body for the journey back home.”
Both former Nigeria’s leaders were in the same hospital. That tells us the character of our leaders that has led the country into unbelievable and irredeemable abyss of little hope for the ordinary citizens, that suffers lack of health care delivery system. But, no man can mock God, most of them that have gone to medical tourism abroad have ended up in graves.
Is it not a common knowledge that former South African President, Late Nelson Mandela built better health care structure that aided his life time health challenges till death. His health was properly managed by South African best Doctors; he was never flew abroad but died in his ancestors’ land.
Nigeria need leaders of conscience like that of the immortal former United State President, Late Harry. S. Truman, who proposed a national health care plan during his reign, the Great Otto Von Bismarck of Germany, in fact, history has it that Truman laid the groundwork for the world’s ancient national social health insurance system, which he introduced in the 19th century.
Is it not alarming that current report shows that the country loses close to $2billion yearly to foreign countries because of the failure of leadership to provide better health care delivery system. The Guardian newspaper had reported yesterday that the Coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Ondo State, Dr Habibu Yahaya, has disclosed that Nigeria loses about $1.2 billion to medical tourism yearly due to what he described as the fragility of the country’s health system. Yahaya disclosed this as the keynote speaker during the fourth Annual Public Health Grand Round held on Wednesday at Oladipo Akinkugbe Hall, University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State.
It is time for our leaders to rethink and retrace their step knowing that history will only be fair to those who provide leadership. It is time to invest heavily in the health sector to save both the poor and the affluent from dying of plausible healing.
-Mark Orgu is the Editor-In-Chief, Afrikanwatch Network, and public affairs and social commentator, writes from Lagos (08028592006)
For breaking news/commentary, adverts, please call, +2348028592006, email us: afrikanwatch122@gmail.com. follow us on twitter: @afrikanwatchm, facebook: linkedin: afrikanwatch network communications, afrikanwatch network, instagram, @afrikanwatchm.
