Policy Briefs

The immediate past Secretary to Anambra State Government and a good governance advocate, Mr. Oseloka H. Obaze has called on government to invest more in quality health care. 

Obaze made this call on Friday at St. Brigid’s Catholic Church Asaba Delta State after the funeral mass of his deceased friend, Late Mr. John Obiajulu Uwajeh whose death, he believes, was avoidable.

Uwajeh died at the age of fifty, after the three hospitals he was rushed to, in his moments of asthma induced crisis, couldn’t attend to him because they lacked oxygen which might have saved his life.

Obaze, though acknowledged that God is the giver of life and that life must end at some point, regretted the circumstances that led to the death of the late fabrication engineer.

“How many more Uwajeh’s do we have to loose before our government pays adequate attention to health care of its citizens? If this is a one off thing, no problem. But the disturbing thing is that it happens every day!

“Life expectancy in Nigeria’s today is 54.07 years. In some countries, it is as high as 78.94 years. World Health Organization data says one in five Nigerian children die before the age of 5. And most of these deaths are from preventable causes. We can’t continue to live and die this way. We simply can’t!”

In his homily, delivered during the funeral mass, Rev Fr. Isreal Dibia told the story of Horatio Spafford who wrote the hymn It is Well With My Soul. He charged the immediate family members of Late Uwajeh to take solace in the fact that regardless of how bad the situation might seem to be, that God will never leave nor forsake them.

Obaze sympathised with Late Uwajeh’s widow – Tina Uwajeh, the two young sons he left behind – Chukwuka and Chukwunedum and other members of his family who are grieved by his los

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