September 20, (THEWILL) – Fresh facts have emerged on the events leading to the death on Sunday of Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor and acclaimed critic of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was 64.
A statement by the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) on Sunday, signed by its National Secretary, Dr. Isuwa Dogo, bemoaned the death of the Southern Kaduna-born Economist.
It reported that the wife of the deceased narrated how doctors at the Gwagwalada Hospital, Abuja, neglected her husband until he gave up.
The full statement said: “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, according to MBF, 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 the government’s incapacity to rein in the activities of insurgents and criminal groups terrorising the nation.”
The 64-year-old Development Economist and CBN former Deputy Governor, was the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 election.
He was born on December 24, 1956, in the Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
A 1978 alumnus of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Mailafia was appointed Deputy Governor of the CBN in 2005.
For his outspokenness about Fulani killers’ campaign against the Minorities’ Christian population of the North, especially his Kaduna South, he was on several occasions invited for questioning by the police and the Department of State Services (DSS).
He maintained that the Fulani were on expansionism and would drive South after conquering the Northern Minorities.
Mailafia on 11th September 2020 raised an alarm over his life being endangered.
He said: “Please, pray for me. I have reasons to believe that my life is in danger and that some powerful political forces want to silence me forever for speaking the truth. For speaking on behalf of the Holy Martyrs —of thousands of innocent children, women, elderly and youths that have been killed in our beloved country.”
About the Author
