By Abubakar Yunus, Abuja
A lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Mrs. Ngozi Uzodike, has delivered septuplets (seven babies), made up of two boys and five girls. According to a Facebook post by Chairman, Anambra State Civil Society Network (ASCONET), Comrade Chris Azor, one of the baby girls did not make it alive.
The Explainer learnt that the loss of the newborns is not the only challenge confronting the nursing mother. This medium learnt that Ngozi, who works at the Department of Business Administration, delivered the babies at Obijackson Women and Children Hospital, Okija, on Sunday. The major challenge now is that the family has a hospital bill totaling N19million to contend with.
As such, while there have been tears of joy about the arrival of the newborns, the harsh reality is that the academic has received no salaries since she started working at the institution in December 2020. Her husband, Mr. Celestine Uzodike, confirmed to journalists on Wednesday that his wife, was properly engaged as a lecturer at the institution, but unfortunately, had not been paid since. He lamented that his wife had never earned a kobo as salary, even after she had been promoted from Assistant Lecturer to Lecturer II. The embattled father has however, appealed to the Federal Government to pay the two years salary arrears owned to his wife, just as he called on philanthropic minded individuals and organizations to come to the aid of the family in its challenging time.
Mr. Uzodike said the family does not have the capacity to foot the hospital bill and take care of the surviving two boys and four girls, alone. He said, “The babies came out prematurely at 26th week gestation period and the hospital said they will need to be placed under intensive care unit and each of them will cost N3million. One of them has died, remaining six babies, that is why they billed us like that.” The mother, who was very weak, but managed to speak after the delivery, said, “All I want is for philanthropists both in Anambra State and Nigeria at large to come to our aid in other to offset the hospital bill.”
