Pray For Dora

There was a time when counterfeit drugs and unsafe food killed Nigerians -A time when men without conscience made fortunes at the expense of Nigerian lives. A time when a body -The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), whose responsibility it is to ‘’safeguard the public health by ensuring that only right quality of food, drug and other regulated products are manufactured, exported, imported, advertised ,used and sold’, was so corrupt that it connived with these  agents of darkness  to poison and kill Nigerians. It is still fresh in our memory. Murderers had their ways as well as flaunted the blood money in our faces. People took chalks as drugs for killer diseases and ended up dying from the diseases. Tears of mothers, whose children were killed, filled the streets while they watched those responsible for the murders walk freely. There was so much pain. It looked like it was not going to end.

 Then came a certain Dora Akunyili who took over as DG of NAFDAC and we began to breathe a sigh of relieve. Dora along with her team turned the fortunes of Nigerians around. She took these evil men on, even with threats to her life and that of her family members. In fact a bullet once meant for her head missed by inches. At a point it became a habit for her (and still is) to put the people of Nigeria and their interests first.  She pushed on and on until she ended the era of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria.  She risked it all for Nigerians. Dora, I can confidently say is the reason why there is near zero availability of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria today. Millions of lives, especially Children, have been saved. This woman literally put her life on the line to save plenty Nigerian lives.  In her shoes, like those before her, many would have sold out and cashed out at the expense of Nigerian lives.  She once stressed the importance of not compromising her ideals and selling out to the same people she is trying to put behind bars. Good Lord! Nigeria has scarcity of people like this and we cannot afford to have that number lessened.

It has not been long when Nigeria was held by the throat by a certain cabal during late president Yar’adua’s battle for life. Nigeria more or less had no leader and it suited some people just fine. NOBODY could stand up to the cabal until a certain Memo came up-Dora’s Memo. That singular act confirmed her loyalty to Nigerians. Nigeria was on stand still with the vacuum created by the absence of the Commander in Chief. Dora stood for what was right. She (alone) chose to align with well meaning Nigerians who asked that power be transferred to the then Vice president, Goodluck Jonathan until Yar’adua could prove that he was well enough to rule Nigeria again. That Memo was the beginning of the end of that Cabal .Everybody else was just scared. We all know rest of the story.

Dora’s courage as well as altruism knows no bound.

After her defeat to Chris Ngige for the Anambra central senatorial seat nobody heard from Dora again. Apparently Dora had been critically ill and no one knew. Her recent photo taken at the ongoing confab brought me to tears. This cannot be the same vibrant, hard talking Dora. She was looking so pale.

Fellow Nigerians, this woman does not deserve to be forgotten so soon, what with her selflessness to the country.  With goings on in this country, we cannot afford to lose people like Dora Akunyili-not now. There are a few of her type left plus she still has a lot to offer Nigeria. She has proven this time and time again. She has been there for us and now needs us all at this time, most especially our prayers.

 Pray for Dora ,Nigeria pray.

Chiechefulam Ikebuiro

thalynxis@yahoo.ca