Commemorating his 63rd birthday anniversary, Right Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, has spent N50m on patients’ medical bills.
Gbajabiamila selected some of the beneficiaries of the largesse from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba; Femi Gbajabiamila General Hospital, Surulere; Randle General Hospital, Surulere; Gbaja Maternal and Child Care Hospital, Surulere, and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
Receiving a cheque of N5 million at LUTH, Mr Samson Dawudu thanked Gbajabiamila for the donation, saying he was pleasantly surprised by the support.
“I did not see this coming; I was still praying about how help would come before this intervention came. This is a miracle.
“This intervention will go a long way in helping me. God will reward the Chief of Staff and his family. He has done very well. Kudos to his team,” he said.
Presenting a cheque to a patient at Femi Gbajabiamila General Hospital, the Chief of Staff, represented by Rep. Fuad Laguda (Surulere 1 Federal Constituency), said leadership is all about service, impact and compassion for the people.
The money Gbajabiamila paid to clear medical bills ranged from N200,000 to N5 million, as 40 patients benefited from the gesture.
Laguda said Gbajabiamila decided to celebrate his birthday with patients, settle their bills to show love to ordinary people and stretch his hands to those in serious need.
“The Chief of Staff is extending his love to the people in Surulere and beyond, especially those in need.
“Today is his 63rd birthday, and he has decided to celebrate with patients with various health challenges across different hospitals in Surulere and beyond.
“We have been to LUTH, Randle General Hospital, Femi Gbajabiamila General Hospital, and others, and bills of some patients with serious needs were settled.
“The Chief of Staff is a lover of humanity, and he has asked us to appeal to leaders and people with means to always respond to the needs of the people around them,” Laguda, who spent some time with the patients, said.
On how the beneficiaries were selected, Laguda disclosed that hospitals were requested to provide lists of people with serious ailments who could not afford their bills.
According to the lawmaker, the intervention was based on the list provided, and beneficiaries were not selected based on tribe, religion or political affiliation.
He said that in addition to his interventions in health, the Chief of Staff had impacted lives in other areas, such as education, youth development, and business.
Laguda described him as an impactful leader who had created a pathway for other political leaders to follow.
Mr Agboola Dabiri, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, commended Gbajabiamila for the gesture.
Dabiri, who was part of the delegation to the hospitals, said Gbajabiamila had demonstrated his love for humanity with the gesture.
“This man is extraordinary. He is a lover of the common man and the less privileged. Instead of throwing a big party on his birthday, he decided to touch lives by settling patients’ bills.
“My birthday is coming soon, but I am not celebrating. I am doing something small for people in need around me because this man inspires us.
“He is a leader with a large heart. He has touched lives in many ways. Everyone is proud of him in Surulere and beyond,” he said.
Speaking while receiving a cheque on behalf of a seriously ill patient at Randle General Hospital, Mr Mojeed Lateef, Head of Medical Services at the hospital, thanked Gbajabiamila for the support, saying it would go a long way to help patients in their time of need.
“This is highly commendable. This is worthy of emulation, and it would go a long way to help the patients.
“We were asked to bring a list of patients, and we provided a list of patients with the most urgent need.
“Look at this patient here. He was attacked in his house by some cultists who inflicted serious injuries on his body, including his head with machete cuts.
“You can see all the deep cuts. He was brought here unconscious by the police. He could not talk, and his family couldn’t be traced.
“We have been treating him, not knowing how the huge bills would be paid. We thank God for this intervention, and we pray God will reward the Chief of Staff,” he said.
Other beneficiaries thanked the Chief of Staff and offered prayers for a successful time at the presidency.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives called on political leaders and people with means in society to always do their best to help those in need around them.
