For Ogbonna Amadi: What is Going On?
For Ogbonna Amadi: What is Going On?
When Hope Obioma Opara woke me up early this morning with the heartrending news of what suddenly happened to Mr. Ogbonna Amadi yesterday, time stood still as I gasped in shock. How could this happen to the charismatic Entertainment Editor of Vanguard Newspaper of Nigeria?
Yes, people die. But sudden and untimely deaths make us to raise eyebrows of shock, because God does not wish anyone to suddenly pass away when He created and wired us to live beyond 70 years as He said His wishes for us are of good and not evil. So, we don’t expect, pray or wish for the worst when God our maker has made us for the best.
That is why the news of sudden death of Ogbonna Amadi has left me angry and sad, because such unfortunate occurrences would have been prevented if we have well equipped and well staffed healthcare centres, clinics and hospitals in every community in Nigeria and if the evil and wicked rogues in government have not misappropriated the revenue allocations meant for these provisions for the CommonHealth of all Nigerians.
Ogbonna Amadi contributed to the success of many people in the entertainment industry, especially in Nollywood and music, and I will never forget that he did his best to promote and secure the recognition of our annual Eko International Film Festival. And he also supported me in the publicity for the screenings of Faruk Lasaki’s Changing Faces movie at the cinemas in Nigeria. The last time I saw him was at the press conference for Changing Faces at the popular rendezvous for Nollywood stars and other entertainers, the Ojez Restaurant inside the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. He was looking dapper in his suit as he joined me and Victor Akande of The Nation newspapers to coordinate the press conference. We are going to miss him and I hope everyone will support an initiative in his memory, like an annual Prize for the Best Nollywood Movie Review.
As a special tribute to Ogbonna Amadi, I play the following video of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. It was Gaye's 11th studio album released on May 21, 1971.
As we console the bereaved family of Ogbonna Amadi and mourn this great loss, let us say the truth and query those who have failed to provide the appropriate healthcare system for which they have been collecting their fat salaries, bogus allowances and revenue allocations for years. The Minister of health, colleagues and their political godfathers, lobbyists and sponsors must be held accountable for their failures.
The same complaints have been made over and over again for years on the deplorable collapse of healthcare system in the most populous country in Africa where the government has failed to invest in the education and training of medical doctors, nurses and paramedical workers, but keeps on appointing incompetent people as ministers of health to worsen the appalling state of the teaching hospitals and schools of nursing in Nigeria.
I wonder how many of them have visited the colleges of medicine, schools of nursing and medical laboratories and see how horrifying and terrifying they are?
Of course they know that the local healthcare system cannot guarantee the survival of patients in emergencies, because they have misappropriated the revenue allocations for the health sector and will always fly overseas to America, Europe and Asia for the appropriate first class healthcare services they have denied the poor majority abandoned and neglected to face their eerie fate of suffering and dying from preventable illnesses, crimes and other crises in Nigeria. How can people be so cruel and evil to their fellow citizens and still have the audacity to collect fat salaries and allowances and cruise about in government cars and SUVs as presidents, governors, lawmakers, ministers and commissioners and other public posts?
Do you know how many thousands of lives lost suddenly and untimely so far because of the incompetence and maladministration of those elected and appointed to run our government?
For how long shall we continue to bear and tolerate these evil public office holders in Nigeria?
For how long are we going to whine and still watch these demons continue to destroy more innocent lives and wreck Nigeria?
Should we allow these evil and wicked demons in public office to go scot-free?
Until we do our best to demand and secure our rights to good first class healthcare system , security and other “Must Have” facilities and utilities for which our public office holders have been elected and appointed and paid to provide, there will never be peace and unity in this nation and the Nigerian Dream will never come true.
May the blessed soul of Ogbonna Amadi rest in peace and may God who alone knows the depth of our loss comfort us and increase our grace in the vineyard of the Nigerian Dream in the nation building of a New Nigeria for our common good.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
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