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By Henry Uche
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) has maintained that the medical tourism embarked upon over the years by the political class, particularly the President of Nigeria, is not only shameless and wicked but a direct insult on Nigerian medical practitioners.
They made this known in Lagos recently at a press briefing following the lingering showdown between the Federal Government and resident doctors, which has rendered the health sector devastated and ailing citizens helpless.
National president of the association, Gbolaham Temilade, decried government’s concentration on “insignificant” and “petty” things while life-threatening Issues like insecurity, poverty, declining educational and health sectors, comatose agriculture and epileptic power supply remain unresolved.
The YWCA president said, “The wickedness in the land is uncalled for. Our doctors deserve every good thing they asked for because they are among the best in the world and, after God, it’s the doctors. By receiving medical services abroad, political leaders are telling us that their health is more important than the health of over two million people; besides, it is a direct insult on our medical doctors and an act of wickedness. Nothing is working in this country.
“People are dying of hunger, dearth of medical services, frustration and depression, yet they care less. We are humans, not animals, for God’s sake.”
Temilade called on women all over the country to rise immediately against maladministration and mismanagement, which have kept the country in economic dungeon: “Nigerian leaders derive pleasure in deaths of the masses. They celebrate deaths, that is why they have refused to arrest and prosecute killer herders, bandits, Boko Haram and other terrorists in the country. It is the turn of women across socio-cultural and political divides to rise, because we always bear the hottest brunt. Our children, husbands and siblings are rendered economically drenched.”
The educationist added that resident doctors meant well for Nigerians, unlike the political class that wishes citizens death, which is evident in (government) negligence towards health, education, security, and agricultural sectors, among others.
“The President, governors and other politicians who waste public funds on medical care overseas do not know that foreign doctors denigrate, mock and scorn Nigerians in their minds because Nigerian political leaders who are supposed to build world-class hospitals here have deliberately failed to do that. Instead, they derive pleasure wasting our collective wealth for even mere headache, in overseas hospitals,” she said.
Speaking also, the Abuja representative, of YWCA, Lady Chioma Cyril, expressed sadness over what she called a “draconic administration” following the excruciating pains citizens are passing through in the country, adding that Nigerians are suffering the resource curse.
According to her, government’s lackadaisical attitude towards pressing issues is unbecoming, hence, the continuous surge of killings, poverty, unemployment, poor education, poor agriculture yields, epileptic power supply and sorry health sector makes citizens groan.
“No one is safe in this country today and the government claims to be doing something. The system of government Nigeria operates is not helping us. The states and local governments should be allowed to take care of their remote challenges.
“The Federal Government should hands off and let the states take care of themselves. We are tired of all this evil. You can imagine, the President just returned from the UK on medical check-up but our resident doctors are on strike, NMA would soon join them,” she said.
She added that, if the Federal Government fails to address the aforementioned problems crippling the economy, they (YWCA) would practically express their displeasure.
“We charge the federal government to stop junketing around and fix the country within three (3) months else they will see us in different color” she roared.
Similarly, the Lagos Council Area representative of YWCA, Osunyomi Atinuke, who could not hold her tears foretold that the future of Nigeria would be precarious if all the anomalies ravaging the country remain unchecked, feared that the younger generation may follow suit in the wrong direction.
“The future of Nigeria may be precarious because the younger generations are watching and they may do even worse than what the present crop of politicians are doing. What is happening today is a direct result of what we did yesterday, and tomorrow is a function of what we are doing today.
“If all these sad incidents continue then we are endangered as a country. Don’t be surprised that the number of younger generation waiting for their turn (to do evil) is greater in number than those who want to make positive impact. That’s why we need to be careful hence people tend to learn and emulate bad things than good things.”
Atinuke added that posterity will not be fair to persons who deliberately subject others to undue pains by virtue of power and wealth, warning that anyone who keeps silent and do nothing in the face of evil deeds against humanity prepare for manifold repercussions from the Almighty. “By Speaking up against evil rule, we have exonerated ourselves from the double punishment meant for people who smile over evil. We can’t keep silent in the face of abnormalities because we know the consequences,” she affirmed.
They gave federal government three months ultimatum to fix insecurity, dying economy, unemployment, devastated health sector, poor education and other dire problems bedeviling the country.
