Umoru Imokha Abdulahi, has alleged hoax that the Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo paid his wife’s medical bills, which previously generated buzz in the internet after his wife’s delivery at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH.
The newborn child’s father who alleged that his family did not get such a gesture from the Governor after his wife was held her back at the hospital due to their delay in payment of their medical bills, insisted that there is no rationalization for a promise not kept.
The Governor’s claim came at the back of media reports suggesting that Abdullahi’s wife who went through a cesarean section and her child were held back for the family inability to offset the medical bill of N330,000, prompting the intervention of Edo State Governor who was said to have ordered immediate payment.
The Governor’s directive was conveyed in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua few days ago, stated that the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, Precious Ogboru, and Executive Assistant, James Iorkusah, was have offset the medical bills of a family, which the Governor’s aide identified as Innocent Akpan as against Umoru Imokha Abdulahi in the Press statement.
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.”
It said, “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”.
But in a rebuttal on Monday, the father of the newborn, Abdullahi told journalists that he did not receive a dime from the Governor, clarifying that his family was suddenly chased out of the delivery Ward like common thieves by the hospital Management, which feld embarrassed by the outrage generated by media reports.
Abdullahi, who spoke uncoordinated English Language during a with media practitioners at the Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council in Benin City, 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).
“So, the hospital Chief Medical Director 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.
“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”, he said.
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.
Responding to inquiries by by journalists regarding the ongoing development, the UBTH spokesman, Joshua Uwaila, responded in a rhetorical way and directed journalists to direct their inquiries to the Edo State Government House in Benin City.
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