The daughter of the slain Dr. Akunyili’s husband, Dr. Chike Akunyili, Chidiogo, has recalled her last moments with her father on phone.
Chidiogo ‘s mother, Prof. Dora Akunyili, a former Minister of Information, died in 2014 after a long battle with cancer .
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Dr. Chike Akunyili, in his lifetime, ran one of the best hospitals, St Leo Hospital, in Enugu but was killed on Tuesday by yet to be known gunmen.
The mother of one, Chidiogo recalled she had an intimate discussion with her father a day before his life was snuffed out of him by the wicked assailant.
According to her, they spoke about her late mother and what the then-upcoming award symbolized to the family. The two of them(father and daughter), also discussed the security challenges and the state of the nation.
In her tribute to her Dad on Thursday, Chidiogo wrote’’ I spoke to him on Monday, just a day before another human willfully took his life. We couldn’t have known it would be the last. We spoke about my mother, about the award and being bestowed upon her the next day and how it was a birthday present from her to me.’’.
‘’He asked after his newest grandchild whom he had given the name ‘’ Memesomma-‘’the one who does beautiful things’’. And above all, he bemoaned the state of things in the country.’’.
‘’As a surgeon, always frontline with the people’s suffering, he shared how visible the current hardships were. Patients, he said, were no longer able to pay for care. It didn’t help, he added that no one was safe. I asked him if he was being safe and he assured me that he was, going on to share that he never went out anymore and was sure to be home by 6. Convinced, I reminded him to be more careful to take care of himself.
‘’If Ubuutu holds true, that he is, a son, a beloved father, a loving grandfather, a healer, a papal Knight, Agbalanze of Agulu, a friend, and so much more then this is an invitation for us to find the good in us.
‘’We can choose a different path- this current one leads to more senseless death and pain for one too many’’.
(Nation)