PUNCH Metro learnt that Bolaji developed high blood pressure and was rushed by the Lagos State Government, Ministry of Youths and Social Development, to the hospital, where she had a stroke.
Our correspondent had reported that the octogenarian lamented that her children abandoned her and did not care about her welfare, adding that she had been surviving on the generosity of a Pentecostal church in Lagos State, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.
After the report was published, the state Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, ordered that she be taken to the Old People’s Home, Yaba.
The commissioner said, “By the time our officials went to take her, her blood pressure had risen. She was first brought to our office, from where she was taken to the Old People’s Home, Yaba.
“But now, she is on admission. We have confirmed that has a partial stroke. This might not be unconnected with the neglect she suffered. In furtherance of our mandate to tend to the welfare of residents of the state, we have been taking care of her, including paying for the drugs she takes.”
One of Bolaji’s children, Tope, who is with her at the hospital, told our correspondent that he had been responsible for the welfare of his mother, until he lost his job.
Tope, a graduate of Accounting, lamented that he was being paid N18,000 in his new place of work, adding that things had been difficult for him.
He said, “I am her first child. The contract job I have now is just to keep body and soul together; I get paid N18,000 every month. How do I survive on that when I have a wife and three children? But I still send her N2,000 to N3,000 monthly.
“When I read the report in The PUNCH, I was shocked at what she was going through. I called her and she explained that she spoke because of one of my siblings, Samuel, the lawyer.”
Tope said although the government had been responsible for his mother’s treatment, he still bought drugs whenever her care giver was not around.
The 40-year-old appealed to the government and Nigerians for a good job, saying he specialised in stock-keeping.
Samuel, the lawyer, told PUNCH Metro that he was miffed by the lies his mother told against him, which had affected his reputation.
He explained that his mother married no fewer than four husbands, adding that his father, Michael, brought him up.
He said, “It is not true that mama’s husband died 20 years ago as she claimed. My father is still alive. And he was the one that trained me. All the five children she had were for four different men and that is why it is hard for her to have a place she can call her own.
“From what I was told, she attempted to abort my pregnancy and that was what resulted in a defect I have in my body till today. I didn’t use that against her. I still give her some things through my wife. I send money at different times, sometimes N5,000 and other times N3,000.”
When our correspondent asked why the children could not rent an apartment for her, Samuel said the responsibility could not be shouldered by only him, adding that other children were not doing anything, except Tope.
Samuel’s father, Michael, said he separated from Bolaji in 1984 due to her “trouble.”
The 68-year-old engineer described his four-month relationship with her as one borne out of frustration.
He said, “All the husbands that married her are alive; none of them is dead. I think we should be up to four. This was among the reasons I sent her away in 1984 after she had Samuel (the lawyer) for me.
“I could not accept her any longer after the four months she lived with me. She was troublesome. I had actually travelled to England and came back only to discover that my wife at that time was messing around. I saw her (Bolaji) and within a few months, she became pregnant for me. I had to marry her.”
Bolaji, who had reacted to the claims before she was hospitalised, said Michael was not her only husband.
She added that she went through a lot of difficulty during Samuel’s pregnancy and did not make any attempt to abort him.
She said, “It is not true that I am troublesome. I was really troubled by Abiku, and that was why I had several husbands. If my only daughter, who died at 25, had survived, I will not be facing these problems. Samuel knew that his father was not the only husband I had and he was always coming to meet me for money when he was in school. When I was pregnant with him, I had a struggle with fibroid and only God saved my life. But no matter what I did, should that make my children treat me with disdain?”
No comments:
Post a Comment