There is confusion in Edo State over the diversion of an undisclosed sum from Governor Monday Okpebholo to settle the medical bills of the wife, Happiness, and newborn of Umoru Abdulahi, in view of indebtedness over delivery through Caesarean Section (CS).

The mother and baby girl were detained for 21 days by the management of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in Benin, Edo State, over the inability to pay their bills, while Abdulahi cried to the media for help.

Okpebholo’s support that was meant for Happiness and her baby was given to Mr. Innocent Akpan, whose wife, Mercy, also had newborn at UBTH, as disclosed on April 12 by the Chief Press Secretary to Edo governor, Fred Itua.

Itua said his boss’ support was delivered by Okpebholo’s Special Adviser on Health Matters, Precious Ogboru, and the Executive Assistant, James Iorkusah, when they visited the mother and newborn at UBTH.

The youthful Abdulahi said he initially paid N200,000, with the CS taking place on March 20, but the medical bills suddenly rose to N530,000, which he could not pay.

The distraught Abdulahi, an indigene of Agenebode in Etsako East Local Government Area of the state, said he paid a deposit of N50,000 before his wife’s admission, and another N150,000, after the baby’s delivery, totalling N200,000, out of the bill of N380,000.

The struggling father stated that after the CS, his wife and baby were discharged on March 27, but he could not raise the balance, and while he was seeking help to offset the bill, the sum of N150,000 was added by UBTH’s management.

Abdulahi, yesterday in Benin, lamented that he did not receive any financial assistance from the governor, while he accused UBTH’s management of diverting the money meant to offset his wife’s medical bill.

The displeased father (Abdulahi) said when Edo governor’s representatives visited UBTH, the management chased him, his wife and newborn out of the ward and led them to the office of the Federal Government-owned hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, and replaced his wife with Mercy Akpan, whose bills were offset.

UBTH’s Public Relations Officer, Joshua Uwaila, confirmed that the Edo governor sent two officials to the hospital to offset the medical bills of the patient, but he could not explain why Mercy Akpan’s bills were offset, instead of Happiness Abdullahi’s, whose bills were to be offset by Okpebholo, after media reports on her detention. (The Nation, but headline rejigged)