By Emeka Mamah

ENUGU—AILING Second Republic Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme was yesterday flown abroad for continued medical treatment but the Federal Government will not bear the cost of the treatment. Sources told Vanguard that this was because the Federal Government has reneged on its promise to bear the full cost of treatment and transportation of the elder statesman to a hospital in London, and referred the issue to the Anambra State government where Ekwueme hails from.

According to the sources, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, who released an Air Ambulance to take Ekwueme to London, informed the Ekwueme family that was the extent the government could go.


Former Vice President Alex Ekwueme
It was learned that Ekwueme’s younger brother and surgeon, Professor Obumneme Ekwueme, who would have travelled with his brother to London as head of his medical team was dropped from the Air Ambulance because he had problems with foreign exchange that would take care of other exigencies that would arise such as feeding, accommodation, drugs and laboratory tests among others.

Obumneme would now depart for London today, November 13, to join his brother and ensure adequate treatment for him.

The family source wondered why the Federal Government would promise to treat Ekwueme as a former vice president and later renege on such promise.

“We are not surprised about the development because Ekwueme has not been receiving his entitlements from this administration. The Federal Government was not pressurised to make the promise. It did so on its own volition.

“ It is not as if our family could not have treated him in the best hospital in any part of the world. Even if they are not treating him, let them pay him his entitlements when he is still alive. They should not wait until he dies so that they will come and pay tributes to him as the best man while alive,” the family sources said angrily.

Ekwueme was brought to the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu with a National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu, SUV ambulance at about 7: 26 am and driven straight into the tarmac, where he was taken into a waiting air ambulance with registration number N605 JA. The white Air Ambulance was said to have arrived the airport late Saturday evening and spent the night at the airport.

He was transferred into the aircraft in the presence of his family members who escorted him to the airport. The aircraft took off from the tarmac at about 8: 37am with the family members waving to wish him a safe trip.

Among the family members present, was Ekwueme’s daughter Mrs. Onyemelukwe, who is a running mate to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate for Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

The family members had earlier declined comments on the former vice president’s illness, saying that they were not in the mood to speak to the press and did not need any media coverage.

Vanguard journalist manhandled

Meantime, Vanguard’s State Correspondent in Enugu, Mr Dennis Agbo, who witnessed Dr Ekwueme’s airlift was attacked by soldiers, policemen and other airport security officials before they forcefully confiscated his camera, mobile phone and other working tools. Some of the securitymen who were attached to Ekwueme as well as his family members forcefully deleted all the pictures of the Air Ambulance from his camera and mobile phone which they seized, threatening to visit him personally, if the story of the incident was published.

Agbo was briefly detained at one of the offices in the airport, where his mobile phone and empty camera were later returned to him.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/11/ekwueme-fg-not-bearing-cost-treatment/

Why is the FG not bearing the cost of treatment? The man is entitled to overseas medicals as a former VP

Some certain set of people like playing politics with everything

If FG can Airlift him

How much more paying the bills

He's a former vice president

He's entitled to it

He's position covers up to medical bills

Which he has been enjoying over the years

Play better politics and stop playing

Stop gaining sympathy through blackmailing and propaganda

May God not make us eat from our enemies. I thought Igbos hate Nigeria and Buhari specially, why then do you want Nigeria/Buhari to pay for Ekwueme's treatment. Better contact Biafra's President Nnamdi Cownu to pay.

Buhari is a simpleton.

Not suprised as Ekwueme has always been a victim of Buharis nepotism and bigotry , history remembers how Buhari would go ahead and unjustly jail the gentleman for 200 years while Shagari for kept under house arrest in a govt mansion replete with steward and 3 star hotel like services even though Ekuweme was just Vice President to Shagari...Buhari can never change so thats why I laugh when Nwoye thinks Buhari will grace the podium with him in Anambra on Wednesday

This guy is just a big fool, did you not read the statement from his family member? Why are u always making a fool of yourself just because of ur party affiliation? Am sure these ppl u re fighting don't even know that a creature like u exist.... Must U twist the truth all the time? Grow up man, if u see what is bad condemn it... God bless you .. Sorry I used abusive word up there ur comment angered me.. Enjoy your Monday

sarrki:
Some certain set of people like playing politics with everything

If FG can Airlift him

How much more paying the bills

He's a former vice president

He's entitled to it

He's position covers up to medical bills

Which he has been enjoying over the years

Play better politics and stop playing

Stop gaining sympathy through blackmailing and propaganda

Why won't the FG bear the cost for his treatment? I dont get it.

Despite buhari dont like the yiigbos as the yiigbos also do not like him.

I still doubt the story.

This is generation of people that failed nigeria.

Buhari that overthrew their government that time didnt even know what to do to move the country forward.

It was greediness that propelled the military to push shagari and ekwueme away.