The 78th birthday of the Ezeigbo Gburugburu [November 4, 2011] may have served a festive occasion for the immediate nuclei family of Ezeigbo and the entirety of Nigeria but all that glitters is not gold.
This is as information available to 247ureports.com reveals that the supposed birthday celebration at Ezeigbo’s residence hosted by Mrs Bianca Onoh-Ojukwu was not attended by Ezeigbo’s children for reasons believed to border on the misuse of their father’s name and illness for political gains. An exclusive sources close to the Ezeigbo family inform that the children of Ezeigbo remain unhappy with the continued misuse of the name of Ezeigbo by individuals who do not mean well.
Inquiry into the present condition of Ezeigbo reveals a bitter reality difficult to swallow. Bianca Ojukwu’s has renewed her secret move to remove Ezeigbo from the present medical facility to a much cheaper facility similar in kind to a nursing home.
Her previous abrupt decision to remove Ezeigbo out of The Wellington, one of the best neurological rehabilitation hospitals in the United Kingdom for stroke patients, and admit him into a cheaper alternative, Lynden Hill, a nursing home in Berkshire resulted in the near death of Ezeigbo. This was as Ezeigbo’s lung became infected and he fell to phnemonia induced coma and had to be rushed to the intensive care unit of another medical facility. And the worst was averted.
Principal sources close to the activities of the Ojukwu family revealed that Bianca and her sister Lillian Onoh, who has become increasingly involved in her younger sister’s marriage and family affairs, have once again, without consulting the family, decided that no more can be done for Ezeigbo. Apparently, the money put aside by Governor Peter Obi for Ezeigbo’s medical care in a top medical centre would be better spent on ‘other family-related things’. According to the source, these women have deemed it appropriate and fitting for Ezeigbo to be placed into another nursing home. As expected, the members of Ezeigbo’s immediate family who appear helpless in the matter are horrified by this decision.
The general feeling within the family, it is understood, is that Ezeigbo should be given the best possible treatment he can get, and that the care he needs should be provided in a hospital environment eminent in the field of neurological rehabilitation. This is also the view a third-party medical expert who was invited by senior members of the family to assess Ezeigbo.
Ezeigbo’s move to the Lynden Hill Nursing Home on the 6th of June 2011 was also a decision apparently made by Bianca and her older sister. The move resulted in the rapid deterioration of Ezeigbo’s condition and the reversal of his then improving state of health. He was subsequently rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital’s A & E unit on the 26th of June and then into a Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) a day later; an event which members of his family and close friends are still seething about.
His latest planned move to another nursing home, 247ureports.com understands, came as a complete surprise to family members. It has left them dismayed, especially because Bianca had recently claimed that Governor Peter Obi had assured her that he would make certain the great man, Ezeigbo, who he sees as his Godfather, is given the best treatment possible in an environment that will accord him the respect and dignity he deserves.
But there was an interesting development unfolding against the promise of Gov Peter Obi. And that is the subtle and/or secret move of Ezeigbo to another nursing home – scheduled to happen last Monday, the 31st of October; a day after Governor Peter Obi visited to the hospital. It is not clear whether the Governor of Anambra State knew about the plan to relocate Ezeigbo but it is certain that the decision to move him came after Gov Peter Obi visited the hospital facility. Nonetheless, the planned relocation was delayed following Ezeigbo’s re-infection of his respiratory system – requiring a closer supervision by his doctors.
Meanwhile Ezeigbo’s family are peeved by Bianca’s decision to leave her husband this critical time to travel to Nigeria. At a time her husband is undergoing a critical medical situation. Bianca left her husband in London to attend a prayer session in Nigeria organized by Ralph Uwazurike of MASSOB and hosted by her. “Apparently her prayers will be more effective in Nigeria than by her husband’s side. …Last year she flew to the USA just before Ezeigbo’s birthday. This year she has flown back to Nigeria from the UK, again just before her husband’s birthday which is very ironic.” – stated close source to the family.
Not minding that the birthday prayer was attended by many great people who genuinely love and respect Ezeigbo but Bianca’s motives are suspect. Impartial observers point out that hosting an event in honour of her husband as not being the priority, rather taking the ‘right’ decision about her husband’s future medical care and being by his side is the priority. Speculators charge that she is angling for political recognition – while using the occasion as just another political rally; another chance to gain relevance in Nigeria’s political arena.
It is interesting to note that the said organizer of the event, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, the leader of MASSOB, has yet to visit Ezeigbo in London or send a delegation to visit him.
