Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kogi council, has appealed for financial assistance from the state government and public-spirited individuals for a Vanguard Correspondent, Mr. Boluwaji Obahopo, whose wife requires over N3.5 million for surgery.
Chairman of the council, Alhaji Adeiza MomohJimoh, who made the appeal at a news conference on Monday in Lokoja, said that the journalist lost five members of his family in a road accident on Nov. 5.
MomohJimoh said that the bus belonging to NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, which was conveying the family members to a wedding ceremony in Benin, had an accident on Kabba-Okene road, resulting in loss of the five lives, while others sustained injuries.
“The correspondent’s wife, however, sustained life-threatening injury affecting her vertebrae and the spinal cord, and will require N2.5 million for surgery and N1 million for other medications.
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“As at today, the wife of the Vanguard correspondent has been referred to an Abuja hospital because of her critical condition.
“A sum of 2.5 million is required to perform urgent surgery on her to stop further damage to her system.
“It is on this note that the union is calling on government and other public-spirited individuals to please come to the aid of this distressed family by way of financial assistance,” he said.
The NUJ chairman acknowledged the initial financial assistance by some political office holders when the accident happened, stressing, however, that the money realised so far had been expended on preliminary treatment.
“The money realised has since gone into the preliminary treatment at Okene General Hospital, FMC, Lokoja and University Teaching Hospital, Gwgwalada before the real bill for the surgery came out.
“We want to passionately appeal to Kogi government and, by extension, Gov. Yahaya Bello to please come to the aid of this journalist who, for over a decade now, has been reporting the activities of the state government.
“Donations can please be channelled into this account details: Acct Name: Boluwaji Obahopo, Bank name: UBA, Account Number: 2034447686,” he said. (NAN)
