The founder of a non-governmental organisation, Dignity for the Helpless Foundation, Pastor Samuel Brown, on Monday failed to give the details of the account he opened for a kidney failure patient, Tochi Mbonu.

Brown said a co-signatory to the account had travelled, adding that he could not access the account until the person returned.

This was despite Brown’s assurance to PUNCH Metro on Sunday to release the details on Monday after visiting his bank.

Our correspondent had reported that Tochi, a graduate of the Benue State University, had become deaf in India after being on dialysis for two years in the country.

She was on dialysis in Nigeria for one year before being flown out in 2015.

Her mother, Ndidi, said she was stranded with her daughter in India due to the lack of funds for a kidney transplant, adding that she had resorted to selling beans cake (moin-moin) for their survival.

She said her family was introduced to Brown’s NGO in 2015 and an agreement was reached to raise N11m for Tochi’s operation. The proceeds were to be shared N6m for Tochi and N5m for the NGO.

She explained that Brown also agreed to open a joint account with the family to ensure transparency and accountability.

Tochi’s mother said she was surprised when the NGO opened an account without involving any member of the family.

Ndidi said Brown had only given them N1.4m, adding that he paid N30,000 every two weeks.

Tochi, who chatted with our correspondent on Whatsapp, had begged for help from Nigerians, saying her condition was becoming precarious.

When our correspondent called Brown on Sunday, he said he was in church and asked to be allowed to go to the bank on Monday.

When contacted on Monday, he said he had yet to go to the bank.

While lamenting the publication of the activities between him and Tochi’s family on Monday, Brown said as a pastor, he wouldn’t cheat the patient and her family.

“My brother, I am not the only signatory to the account. The other person has travelled and he has not returned. I don’t know when I will give you the account balance.

“But you need to be patient with me. It is hard getting money for a thing like this in this country. I am making efforts to raise money for the operation,” he added.
Link: http://punchng.com/stranded-kidney-patient-ngo-refuses-to-disclose-account-detail/