Still on Ali Ahmadu’s inspiring story

The little boy had been consigned to a wheelchair for almost four years after he was run over by Boko Haram terrorists at Chibok in 2014. His spinal cord became badly damaged and he could no longer walk on his own due to debilitating effects of the injury.

In fact, he and his  pregnant mother were actually left to die under a tree for three days. The pain became so excruciating for Ali that he was bleeding from mouth and nose for days, while the insurgents abandoned him to his fate.

The Dickens Sanomi Foundation heard of Ahmadu’s case and decided to save his life. The sum of  $48,000 (N17.5million) was needed to perform a corrective surgery for him and it was at this critical point that the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki stepped in. He did well by first making a personal contribution before rallying his colleagues at the National Assembly for more contributions.

The Senate President also took it upon himself to create national awareness about the plight of Ali Ahmadu. The high amount needed for the surgery was not just raised, but speedily raised as well through the committed efforts of kind hearted Bukola Saraki.

The realised fund was promptly handed over to Dickens Sanomi Foundation and Ali Ahmadu was flown to Dubai for a spinal cord corrective surgery. The surgery was performed at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and it was coordinated by Dr. Nishit Bhargava.

The surgery lasted for six hours before little Ali was transfered to the intensive care unit for additional 48 hours.

It was most surprising that the  hard-fighting six-year old Ahmadu defied all expectations of his doctors that he would need the help of physiotherapists for at least three weeks after the surgery to learn how to walk all over again. Contrary to this expectation, the boy surprised everyone when he started walking after after only seven days.

The Founder of Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care, GIPLC, Nuhu Kwajafa, who collaborated with the Dickens Sanomi Foundation expressed his appreciation thus: “This is to say a big thank you from Ali’s family and GIPLC. Most especially our best regards goes to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his colleagues who set the ball rolling towards raising funds and awareness for the surgery. Nuhu

Kwajafa went ahead to also shower appreciation on others that played one role or the other in the recovery of Ahmadu. According to him, “Our profound gratitude goes specially to Dickens Sanomi Foundation for making it all happen and for being at the hospital with Ali”. According to the GIPLC boss,

“This surgery was made possible by the esteemed Foundation. Thank you once again the Chairman of the Foundation, Igho Sanomi and its Board of Trustees.

We thank the press (print and electronic). We cannot do it without you. We are grateful”.

In the words of Nuhu  Kwajafa while recapturing the Ali Ahmadu’s recovery story, “After five hours on the 17th of September and almost 48 hours in Intensive Care Unit, Ali Ahmadu had a very successful procedure. It has been a divine journey starting far away in Chibok in 2014. It is the story of a little boy left to die, underneath a tree, to where (Dubai) we are today”. He also saluted the fighting spirit of the little Ahmadu in glowing terms. According to Kwajafa, “It is about a fighting spirit, a resolute charming soul and spirit beating all odds to survive and we thank Nigerians for their prayers and well-wishes”.

Meanwhile, the philanthropist and owner of Taleveras Group, Igho Sanomi who established the Dickens Sanomi Foundation said: “Miracles do happen. For those of you who don’t believe in God, better believe in God.

So many lives that are being lost on a daily basis to all forms of illnesses may have been saved if there could be more public spirited people like Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Femi Salako

Akure, Ondo State