BENIN CITY…..Seven weeks after Wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki paid for the discharge of mother of triplets, Mrs. Blessing Ogbona who hails from Abudu, in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State but married to a peasant farmer of Abia origin, authorities of the University of Benin teaching Hospital, UBTH has refused to release one of the triplets over what appears to be controversy over the paid bills.
Speaking to newsmen in Benin City, the Edo State capital yesterday, mother of the triplets appealed to wife of the Edo State Governor to come to her rescue over the seizure of her baby by the UBTH.
It would be recalled that wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki on her visit to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital to felicitate with mother of the First baby of the Year 2019, had compassion on Mrs Ogbonna who was delivered of her triplets on November 7, 2018 but could not pay her medical bills weeks after she was discharged by the doctors for want of money.
An elated Samuel Ogbonna who had spent all he had in managing the triplets born as pre-mature babies said he thanked God for bring the wife of the Governor to their recue but his joy was to be cut short, when on the discharge of the wife and one of the babies, the UBTH officials told them that they would not release the said baby to the father because her bill was not covered by the amount paid by the wife of the Governor.
When asked of the third baby, Mr Ogbona said “ One week after their birth one died. So, we were left with two of them in the intensive care unit. So, after the Wife of the Governor paid our Bills, I went later to take them. They told released my wife and one of the triplets to me and told me that they will not release the other one to me because of N429,550 as at 9th of January when I went there. I will not know what the bill will be now. Since then, I have been appealing to them to give me my baby, they refused and told me that the Governor’s wife payment did not cover the baby. I was surprised.”
Before having the triplets, Mr and Mrs Ogbonna already had four children in a marriage that has lasted eighteen years.
Meanwhile, a frontline Human Rights activists and Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor has appealed to authorities of the University of Benin to release the baby to its parents on humanitarian grounds.
Rev Ugolor made the appeal in Benin City yesterday while receiving Mr and Mrs Ogbona in his office. He contended that since wife of the governor has personally visited the hospital and paid for her bills, the authorities should go the full hog by honouring the wife of the Governor with the release of the baby as it was obvious that if the parents cannot pay any more bills.
