- Hospital demanded N.6m to admit him, denied him oxygen
- Doctor on duty frustrated foreign consultant to attend to him
- Middle Belt Forum carpets Abuja hospitals, alleges conspiracy
An account of how a former presidential candidate, columnist, Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia died of to a yet to be disclosed ailment early hours of Sunday at the Specialist Hospital, Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, has been given by the Middle Belt Forum, MBF.
In the statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by its its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Isuwa Dogo, the forum alleged conspiracy, lackadaisical attitudes of medical personnel as responsible for the untimely death.
It said: ”The death of the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada, Abuja, this morning came to us as a great shock.
”As someone who relentlessly participated in the activities of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), his untimely death has dealt a deadly blow on ethnic nationalities of not only the Middle Belt but the country at large.
”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 shabbily treated. It took the intervention of a senior medic who immediately placed him on oxygen and admitted him.
”Dr Mailafia’s was later given the option of choosing three hospitals: Gwagwalada Hospital, National Hospital and EHA Clinics. The 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 transferred 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.
”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.
”In the twilight of his life, this consummate technocrat and global scholar of repute beamed his searchlight on the raging insecurity ravaging our country. He expressed regrets over government’s incapacity to rein in the activities of insurgents and criminal groups terrorising the nation.
”As a former presidential candidate in the 2019 poll, Dr Mailafia sought to deploy politics to bring about the dream he had for his country. 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.
”In this period of grief, we extend our sympathy to his immediate family members and pray to the Almighty God to grant each and everyone of them the fortitude to bear the pain of this irreparable loss.
”The death of Dr Mailafia today represents a dark day for not only the Middle Belt but also for all citizens who yearn for a new dawn for justice in Nigeria.”
ACF mourns Mailafia, says demise shocking
Reacting, the pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum described the death as shocking.
It said Mailafia contributed immensely to the development of Kaduna State and the North in general.
A statement from the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, in Kaduna on Sunday, was titled, ‘ACF sad over Dr Mailafia’s death’.
It read: “We mourn the distinguished northern intellectual who obtained a PhD from Oxford University. We mourn a financial wizard who rose up to the rank of Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria in the banking sector of our economy.
“While he was alive, Dr Mailafia held unto his views strongly. We sympathise with his immediate family, the Kaduna government and the Central Bank of Nigeria over his untimely demise.”
Probe death, M’Belt Youth Council tells FG
On its part, the Middle Belt Youth Council (Worldwide) has called on the Federal Government to take responsibility of investigating Mailafia’s death.
The organisation which described his death as “a minus to Nigerian nationhood”, premised its demand for investigation on the fact that he had been under intense pressure to desist from speaking the truth.
The President of MBYC (Worldwide), Emma Zopmal, made this call in a statement on Sunday.
He said: “Late Dr Obadiah Mailafiya was an extraordinary hero. He stood for the truth but hated by the system. Nigerian system hates the truth. As a result, this country will never move forward. He has been under intense pressure to desist from speaking the truth.
“The Middle Belt and Southern Nigerian people should wake up to reality. The real covert war is at our door steps. While the manifest war is ongoing through Fulani herdsmen militia, systematic extermination is ongoing too.”
SOKAPU demands for forensic analysis of his death
In a related development, the Southern Kaduna People’s Union says Mailafia’s sudden death is a huge loss to the global community.
It alleged foul play in the death of the former CBN chief, demanding a thorough independent forensic analysis of their son.
For a person of interest to Nigerian government to arrive at a government hospital, just to be declared dead after a few hours, sure smacks of foul play.
It demands for a thorough independent forensic analysis of their son,” said SOKAPU’s spokesperson, Luka Binniyat.
Binniyat noted that the kind of Mailafia was not common to find in any generation.
Mailafia’s voice on national issues rang till last few days – Olawepo-Hashim
Also, a former presidential candidate and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has described Mailafia’s death as a “great loss to Nigeria and his beloved family that he loved dearly.”
He noted that the deceased’s voice on national issues kept ringing until the last few days to his death.
Olawepo-Hashim’s position was contained in a statement on Sunday titled ‘Mailafia’s death, a great loss to Nigeria – Olawepo-Hashim’.
He recalled that he and the deceased were screened by the elders of the Middle Belt in 2019 presidential run, stating that “He (Mailafia) did remarkably well. His voice on national issues which kept on ringing until the last few days will be missed.”
Apart from being a former CBN deputy governor, Mr Mailafia was also a popular public commentator who was always willing to share his view on public affairs.
Mr Mailafia was quite critical of the President Muhammadu-led administration especially on policy issues and insecurity.
Mr Mailafia was invited for questioning by the State Security Service based on the allegation.
He later retracted the claim, saying he had no evidence to defend it.
He also alluded to the existence of a certain ‘Jigawa cabal’ that was enriching itself by frustrating the CBN’s effort to sustain the value of the Naira vis a vis the American dollar.
Death should be probed
A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, in a youtube video has said that the death is fishy and thus should be independently investigated.
He said there might be more to the passing of Mr Mailafia than meets the eyes considering his tough poistions on critical national issues.
