The National Leader of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Dan Nwanyanwu, has shared a poignant story about why the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola was so driven to become Nigeria’s president.
Nwanyanwu, who spoke on Arise News Prime Time, recalled the time when he and President Bola Tinubu visited the late Abiola when he was in a Lagos hospital.
During one of those visits, which he said was frequent, he said Abiola told him that one of the reasons he wanted to be president.
He said it was because of an emotional encounter with a chief surgeon at a London hospital who happened to be Nigerian.
According to Nwanyanwu, President Tinubu was present when Abiola gave the account of his experience at the London hospital.
He lamented that monies meant to build standard hospitals in every state of the country are being stolen at the centre.
He said that Abiola had vowed to reclaim Nigeria’s top-tier talent and build world-class hospitals across the country so Nigerians would no longer need to travel abroad for medical help.
Nwanyanwu said: “Abiola had a swollen leg and he was admitted in Eko Hospital in Lagos.
“I was the only non-member of the family that was with him.
“The wife will bring food, leave it with me.
“I will serve him.
“After eating, I will eat the remnants.
“Abiola called me one day: ‘Comrade, do you know why I want to be president?’
“I said, tell me, Mr. President.
“He said: ‘There was a time I went for surgery in a hospital to London.
“They wheeled me to the theatre.
“Six doctors were in the room, three on my right, three on my left, all white people.
“‘After 10 minutes, I said do the thing and let me go.
“‘They said no, we are waiting for the Chief Surgeon.
“‘Not long, one black man came with two other doctors.”
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“When the black doctor entered, he moved close to Abiola and said: ‘Ekaasan sir’ and Abiola (surprised) answered (in Yoruba): ‘What’s your name? Are you a Nigerian?’
“The doctor said yes.
“Abiola told me tears dropped from his eyes.
“He said: ‘Comrade, I will bring all these people back in Nigeria and put those hospitals here.
“‘Are you telling me that we cannot put Kings Hospital in every state in Nigeria?
“‘Are you telling me we cannot put these hospitals here?
“‘They have stolen the money for the hospitals from the centre.
“‘We are selling oil but we are not seeing the money in the past how many years now.’
“Abiola told me he cried.
“That was part of the reason why he wanted to be president.
“Tinubu is aware of it.
“I’m calling him because everyday we were in Abiola’s house.”
