Man denies receiving medical bill support from Gov Okpebholo

Mr Umoru Imokha Abdullahi, whose wife’s medical bills were reportedly offset by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo after the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) detained her, has opened up, claiming that his family did not receive such a gesture from the governor.

Recall that after media reports of the detention of Abdullahi’s wife and child due to the family’s inability to pay the medical bill of N330,000, Edo State Governor Okpebholo reportedly ordered the immediate settlement of Abdullahi’s family bills at UBTH.

In a statement announcing the offset of the bills, signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Fred Itua, some days ago, Okpebholo, represented at UBTH by his Special Adviser on Health Matters, Precious Ogboru, and Executive Assistant, James Iorkusah, was said to have settled the medical bills of a family identified as Innocent Akpan, rather than Umoru Imokha Abdullahi.

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 emphasised the state government’s commitment to the health and welfare of its citizens, especially the vulnerable.”

It added: “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.”

However, reacting to the alleged offset of the medical bills, Abdullahi said he did not receive a penny from the governor, adding that his family was suddenly chased out of the ward like common thieves.

Abdullahi, who spoke in pidgin at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, 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 dey meet her dey threaten her say nah me want draw their legs come outside (this must have been after media reports of the detention by UBTH).

“So, the CMD 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 collect 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.”

Abdullahi, who said he has nothing currently doing after being sacked from his place of work, appealed to UBTH to release any money meant for his family, while also begging well-to-do Nigerians to come to his aid.

When contacted by journalists, UBTH Public Relations Officer Joshua Uwaila responded with questions rather than answers, eventually referring journalists to the government house for clarification.

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