Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
A meember of the Governing Board of the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, Niger State, and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Hon. Cletus Obun, has threatened to take legal action against the Cross River State Ministry of Health for abandoning his wife, Gloria, when she tested positive for COVID-19 in the line of duty.
The APC chieftain issued the threat in a media parley with journalists held in Calabar yesterday, blaming the management of Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH for exhibiting a lackadaisical attitude towards her wife’s situation, despite the fact that his wife contracted the virus while in line of duty.
He said, “I am going to seek a legal action against the management of tge IDH, who got my wife, who is thier staff abandoned, without taking her to any of the isolation centres, but choose to send her home, notwithstanding the fact that sending her home might put the lives of my entire family in jeopardy.”
Obun, a former member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, CRHA, who represented Boki state constituency, claimed to have spent N150,000 as payment to a healthy official before his wife was attended at thier home.
He added, “My wife contracted the virus while at work at the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, where she works as a laboratory scientist.
“It’s unfortunate that she was not given any attention by the management of tye IDH, her place of assignment or any quota by officials of tyey state Ministry of Health. This is totally unacceptable.
“Is it because Governor Ben Ayade dosen’t fire his appointees that they are behaving like this? No, something has to be done to checkmate the excesses of appointees of government.
“I am speaking on behalf of those who may not have had a voice to speak for themselves, and not because my wife has been maltreated; but for the interest of the common, man who may not have had a name or voice to speak for himself.
“My problem isn’t with Dr. Betta Edu, who is a the state Commissioner for Health, but with her staff at the IDH, who ought to have taken action immediately my wife was diagnosed of COVID-19; they abandoned her, sent her home until the situation became complicated.”
But in a swift reaction to the allegations,the state Commissioner for Health Dr. Betta Edu, refuted Obun’s allegation that the ministry abandoned his wife during her trial period.
Edu said, “It’s not true that we abandoned Obun’s wife, who is one of us, it is just that she had an underlying ailment, which we are finding difficult to deal with.
“Professionally, I cannot continue to say anything regarding the health status of Hon. Obun’s wife; Gloria is not only the former lawmaker’s wife, but a staff of Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH.
“Let me not say anything further concerning whatever health challenges she might be facing at a moment.
“However, as a ministry, we are going to intensify our effort to ensure that she gets better.”
