Lost to JOHESU strike: The pathetic end of a youth corps member

Life was an uphill task for her, having lost her father 10 years ago. Unfortunately, just as she got to the top of the hill, the inevitable happened to Christiana Obakhedo. ISHOLA MICHAEL reports the tragic story of Obakhedo who died a few days after completing the National Youth Service Corps programme.

Christiana Paul Obakhedo, popularly called ‘Mummy’ by her relations and close friends, must have dreamt of walking down the aisle one day with her prince charming, starting a family and raising their own children to be loved and cared for the way she was cared for, being the only female child among her seven other siblings.

Sadly enough, that was not going to be, as death snatched her away penultimate Friday, 20th of April, 2018, exactly 10 years after the death of her father.

Though death is an inevitable end of all mortals, Christiana, maybe, could still have been alive if not for the strike currently embarked upon by members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), a development which denied her of adequate medical attention at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi, where she was initially rushed to when she took ill. Christianah was brought to Bauchi from Hadeja in Jigawa  State, where she was observing her mandatory national youth service.

A family source revealed that immediately after the passing out parade on Thursday, 12 April, 2018, Christiana took ill to the extent that she could not walk and had to be supported even to stand up, a situation that made her colleagues to immediately put a call through to her elder brother, Ken Obakhedo, who works in Ningi.

The source added that the car that was bringing her to Bauchi from Hadejia had mechanical issues on the way forcing her brother, Ken,  to rush to go in his own car to convey her to Bauchi.

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Having succeeded in bringing her to Bauchi and was placed on admission at ATBUTH, the worst was thought to have passed. Unfortunately, one day after her admission, health workers began their industrial  action, forcing her relatives to move her to a private hospital, Ni’ima Specialist Hospital, where she eventually died even before she could be attended to.

Christiana was 32 years old, an HND graduate of Tourism Management from the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.  All the years of studying for high academic grades and dreaming of the future came to an abrupt end that fateful Friday. For her family members, it was painful loss, as she could not enjoy the fruits of her labour.

At the Bauchi Christian cemetery where she was buried on Thursday, tributes were showered on her by  all the speakers highlighting her good qualities as tears freely flowed.

Her elder brother, Ken, who works with a bank, described her as “the mother, sister, friend and mate we all looked up to. She was so caring, tender and loving; there was never a dull moment with her around the house, as she ensured that everything that needed to be done was perfectly done and in good time.”

Ken, amidst tears said that Christiana being the only female among her siblings had a dream of becoming a mother someday. “She will always ask, would you people continue to call me Mummy even when I am married and have my own children?”

He disclosed that the bond among the siblings was so strong that it was very difficult for a first time visitor to their family to immediately know who was what among them. Ken concluded that Christianah had left a vacuum that will be so difficult to fill in the family.

As for Mrs Bright Bridget Olumodeji, Christiana death has robbed her of a darling cousin who was always there for her in spite of the age difference between them. “She was a shoulder I always put my sobbing head on; she treated me like a mother would and would always say soothing words to me all the time. She died in her prime when her sun was just coming out, but we are mortals and must one-day taste death.”

One of Christiana’s friends who could barely utter some words described her as, “a reliable confidant, someone who could hold her mouth to keep secrets no matter the circumstances. Though she was younger than me, she was my adviser, anytime I had any issue and I managed to tell her, she will give me an advice which will take away my fears and give me hope to live on.”

She added that late Christiana was a very hardworking lady who was not ashamed of joining her mother in the market to sell fish.

“In fact she was proud to be identified with her mother’s trade. This made her a positive example to others.”

A neighbour of the Obakhedos, who would not want to be identified described Christiana as a lover of children; someone who hated to see children undergo one form of stress or the other. He went on to narrate that when his brother lost his wife leaving behind a few months old baby, it was Christiana that took it upon herself to care for the baby..

Members of the St John Catholic Church Bauchi, where she was a parishioner, told of her commitment to the things of God, saying that her contributions would be missed greatly in the church.