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…Says Nigeria is not abandoned project
By Enyeribe Ejiogu
The deterioration of the health sector which began during the military interregnum and birthed the brain drain that hit the country as highly skilled doctors relocated overseas for better practice opportunities, has been worsening with each passing year.
As the country marks its 63rd Independence today, medical professionals like Dr Olukayode Segun Adeyanju and his peers, who chose to stay back in the country and prop up the health sector, daily grit their teeth and continue to render service to patients, simply unable to throw in the towel, get on a flight and head to Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, United Arab Emirates and some other nations with adequate modern facilities and better remuneration packages.
In a phone chat with Sunday Sun, on the eve of the 63rd anniversary, Adeyanju, a dental surgeon, expressed frustration that the country’s health sector is at its lowest ebb in terms of infrastructure. His words: “One, medical experts need the right environment to practice after they have acquired the knowledge and the skill. The beauty of doing so is to practice. Unfortunately, the infrastructural facilities that enable practice and skill utilization are missing. Two, there is the issue of remuneration. Nigerian medical practitioners, compared to their peers in other nations, are poorly paid. Thirdly, systemic flaws. So, when you have a combination of these three things happening together, you have a situation where Nigerian health personnel are moving out in ever-growing numbers, to nations where these things are available. In such countries, you have requisite infrastructure, the remuneration is better and you have access to a better quality of life.
“Again, on the part of the government, the health sector is not well funded. The policy environment is also not encouraging. Ideally, there should be a law or strict regulation that says every public officer, whether elected or appointed, should access healthcare services within the country and not overseas. If you are a public servant who has grown to a high level, if such a person has to travel out to access health services, then that should be at the personal expense of that officer. It should not be a case where a public servant goes overseas to get treated at the expense of the government. Now imagine a situation where the Minister of Health goes to Dubai for medical services. That is a terrible situation that we are witnessing in the country.”
Interestingly, Adeyanju wears two hats as a medical practitioner and minister of the gospel as the Lead Pastor of Grace Assembly Christian Church which holds special prayer sessions for the nation on October 1.
It is worthy to recall that the early church denominations which came to Nigeria before independence, built and operated hospitals that provided vitally needed health services, which also helped to make the people embrace the gospel and message of salvation. But the big indigenous Christian denominations have not followed the practice of the European missionaries, by building hospitals instead of the seeming competition to build edifices that serve as worship centres.
On this observation, said: “The truth is that several churches have not understood the wisdom of Jesus Christ. The Redeemer, Jesus Christ, built men but Solomon built a magnificent temple. When Jesus came, He focused on building men, knowing that when you build men, then you sustain whatever you have built. When you build structures without building men, whatever you build will decay. Jesus built men and impacted the world, but where is the temple that Solomon built?
“When the European missionaries came, they built people by bringing education and health services. Unfortunately, after they left, the successive church leaders did not continue in that trend. Instead, we are building structures, huge auditoriums and other massive commercial real estate in the upper-scale parts of cities like Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and several other places. Imagine if the billions that have been sunk into those projects had been invested in building and funding health facilities offering affordable healthcare to the people while also preaching the gospel, the church would have been making more impact.
“The church is the primary institution that is responsible for any nation because Jesus Christ said that we are to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. What the church does is to teach people about how to live the right way and do things the right way. But now, the focus is more on self-aggrandizement, my denomination, my big church building and my large congregation. This mindset is taking a toll and affecting our nation. I hope to see a future where the church calls itself back home and rediscovers its roots. Jesus Christ said that He will make us fishers of men. We are to go and build people. Of course, if we do that, the corruption level will drop, murder will drop, kidnapping will drop and all the vices in the nation will drop and Nigeria will become a better nation from the top to the bottom. The Bible says that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but they mourn when the ungodly rule.”
Despite the pain, deprivations and poverty in the land, Adeyanju believes Nigerians who are aggrieved and unhappy with the way things are should seek ways to be part of the solution. He counsels that people should collaborate and be part of the change process.
“The way forward is not to protest on the streets about the deteriorating situation. Rather, people should come to the table with solutions. Come together and become a solution force. Find a way to be part of the solution. When good people do nothing, bad people triumph and reign. For instance, I am a medical doctor who is also an evangelist. I am sensitizing and mobilizing other people to pray for the healing of the nation. God says in the Bible, “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, I will hear from heaven and heal their land.”
He says further: “The Nigerian nation needs healing. We are saying to the people that Nigeria is not an abandoned project, it is not a hopeless state, and we could still do something about it. Looking at the present situation, several coalition forces are meeting and planning for the next four years. We want to make sure that we take back our nation.
“That is why the vision of Grace Assembly Christian Church is to raise leadership for our nation. The goal is to have believers who are in the area of leadership in Nigeria. And sensitize people about God’s kingdom and the second coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
“Today, we are going out to raise the awareness of every Nigerian who has not fled the nation that the country is not an abandoned project. We want people to keep hope alive, encourage them not to kill the country, don’t speak ill of Nigeria and rubbish the country.
“We are going to do this by praying for the country and sensitizing the people that Jesus can heal our land as we call upon His grace and mercy.
This is part of our God Bless Nigeria annual crusade. We are bound to pray for our nation. October 1 is a covenant day we all should come together and wish the best for Nigeria, which is our dear nation. For this year, the focus is on Jesus, the healer of our land. We are trusting God to heal our land. The country is bleeding terribly – kidnapping, poverty, tribal conflicts and various ills in the land. We want the Lord to heal us. We can live together, just the way we were in the 50s and immediately after Independence in brotherhood, despite the differences in tongue and tribe. We pray to God to restore that spirit of brotherhood, which will make this nation greater.”
