By Ndubuisi Michaels
Delta Government on Wednesday, debunked insinuations in some quarters, including social media, that the health condition of a former Captain of Super Eagles, Henry Nwosu, who is receiving treatment at Asaba Specialist Hospital, Asaba, was deteriorating.
Addressing journalists shortly after visiting the football legend at the hospital, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor of the state, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, said contrary to rumours, Nwosu was positively responding to treatment.
Ifeajika disclosed that the health condition of the renowned footballer had, contrary to speculations, improved significantly from the condition he was at the time he was admitted into the medical facility.
According to him, the rumour that Henry Nwosu is not doing well in his health condition; that he is not eating again and not even walking nor talking again is clearly baseless as there is no iota of truth in it.
He said that the state government took over Nwosu’s medical care and general well-being since he was brought to Asaba Specialist Hospital.
“As soon as we knew that he was here at the Asaba Specialist Hospital three or four weeks ago, His Excellency, the Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, asked that we should come and find out how true it was.
“I came here with the Commissioner for Health and we found out that it was true that he was in this medical facility and he told us that he was better than he was when he came.
“And, immediately, on the instructions of the governor, we directed that every bill on his health should be passed to the state government. In fact, we asked that the family should not pay the bills that were already outstanding at the time.
“But, we were surprised with the rumours that he was not doing well in the hospital; that he was not eating again and that he was not even walking or talking again.
“Added to that rumour was that he was being taken away from the hospital on the prompting of Lagos State Government which planned to take over his medical care.
“Nobody from Lagos State Government has contacted us on that and it is not true that some other interests had discussed with Delta State Government expressing willingness to take over the former footballer’s health care..
“In a state where we have everything, you can see the environment where he is. We even moved him from the private ward where he was to a VIP ward.
“And, he (Nwosu) has said that he is a lot better now. As the Chief Medical Director just said, Nwosu has had a better attention and he is quite better than how he was when he was brought in from Imo State.
“I spoke with him last night and he said that he would not want to leave because the Governor had been very wonderful to him and that the medical attention was also wonderful.
“He even said that if he had his way, he wouldn’t want to leave. But, he is leaving today on the insistence of his family, which wants to take him elsewhere,” the CPS said, pointing out that Nwosu’s case was not beyond what the medical consultants and experts at the Asaba Specialist Hospital could handle.
He, however, affirmed that the government could still render help to him “if we know where they are going.”
The governor’s spokesman advised Nigerians not to play politics with the former footballer’s health, adding, however, that no amount of political attacks on Governor Okowa would diminish his innate compassion for humanity or distract him from his focus on Delta and Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director of the Asaba Specialist Hospital, Dr. Peace lghosewe, said that Nwosu had made remarkable improvement in his health condition since he was brought into the medical facility about six weeks ago, adding that he was getting better everyday.
“From the time we knew who he was, because he chose to be anonymous when they came, the state government has taken over his treatment and other things.
“The state government even took care of what he had paid before we knew who he was. The family said they want him taken outside the country and they are making plans towards that,” lghosewe added.
Earlier in a brief chat with journalists, the former Captain of the national team expressed profound appreciation to the government and people of Delta for the support given to him since he was admitted in the hospital.
“I appreciate the love that the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has shown to me. I quite honestly appreciate his overwhelming support towards my health and general well-being.
“Again, I want to say that I enjoyed the support that l had from the neighbouring states of Ondo and Abia and l thank them very well,” Nwosu stated.
On her part, the younger sister of the football legend, Mrs Kate Kogolo, said members of her family were greatly overwhelmed with what Delta State Government had so far done in the life of their ailing brother, adding that they had spent over N3 million before they moved him from Imo State to Asaba.
