8 October 2008
opinion
Lagos — Olayinka Babasanya Craig, who died,on September 23, 2008, belonged to the league of Nigeria's finest broadcasters. He was aged 60.
Yinka, as he was fondly addressed by his friends and well-wishers, was many things rolled into one embodiment of talents. He was a quintessential gentleman, a broadcaster par excellence, a compere of note, a super sports commentator, a comedian with an incredible mastery of rib-cracking jokes, an entertainer extra-ordinaire and a gifted instrumentalist.
Sadly, he died after a long battle with lymphoma, cancer of the immune system, at Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America (USA). Craig started his 40 years' career in broadcasting from the days of the old Western Nigerian Broadcasting Service (WNBS). In 1967, he joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (now Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) as a studio operator. He carved a niche for himself as a sports commentator and analyst in the 1980s while in the stable of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Craig who voluntarily retired from the NTA in 1990 to diversify his talents was multi-talented, quick-witted and very knowledgeable about many issues. Television programmes such as Newsline, AM Express and sports made him famous among viewers.
His death, which came a few months after the death of Nigeria's music icon, Sunny Okosuns, who also died of cancer, has brought to the fore the increasing reports of cancer-related ailments affecting Nigerians. It has also raised public concern about cancer, its diagnosis and treatment.
That he had to seek medical treatment abroad which involved a huge amount of money paid as medical bills also raises questions on the state of the healthcare system in Nigeria. Most of the cancer-related cases are not detected early, which therefore, explains why sufferers hardly survive. This is a sad commentary on a country, which had made mountain out of a mole hill 25 years ago with a dramatised health policy aimed at giving a face-lift to the hospitals in the country.
In 1983 precisely, the Federal Government under the military regime claimed that the hospitals in the country were merely serving as consultancy centres and promised to invest heavily in the sector as part of its strategy to achieve good health for all by the magic year of 2000. A public show was made out of the creation of the so-called Centres of Excellence. But today, the story still remains the same, in spite of increased budget allocations to the Ministry of Health. The reality is that Nigerians still go abroad for proper diagnosis and treatment of simple to complex ailments.
The saddest part of the situation is that Nigerians are still facing the risk of improper diagnosis on a daily basis. Not too long ago, President Umaru Yar'Adua confessed in an interview that he was reacting to a drug that was administered on him in Nigeria by his medical team. It happened to him at a clinic that should provide the best in terms of medical care. If there is any hospital that should be fully equipped, it ought to be the one in Aso Rock where the President and his family reside and seek medical attention as the need arises. If that happened to our President, it goes to demonstrate what other Nigerians are going through in their search for medical care.
Another case that tasks the conscience of the nation is that of Chief Gani Fawehinmi who is also down with a cancer-related ailment. He also revealed in an interview that his ailment was not diagnosed early. That is a case of someone who has the ability and capacity to afford medical attention anywhere in the world. Several people are dying needlessly as a result of wrong diagnosis, wrong prescription and lack of the wherewithal to take care of their medical needs. A large number die in the hands of unprofessional health practitioners for no other reason than the fact that they do not have access to proper medical care. That is the danger of our poor health system.
Craig, an indigene of Ogun State, is dead and gone, but his memories will linger and his legacies will last. We commend individuals, groups, and corporate organizations who contributed to his huge medical bills. The Lagos and Ogun State governments in particular donated generously to the Yinka Craig Fund with the former donating as much as N15 million.
Governments over the years have been paying lip service to health issues. Investments in health can yield high returns in the form of faster growth, higher efficiency, greater savings, and reduced poverty. It goes, therefore, to say that through improvements in health care services and facilities, governments can make significant contributions to economic and social development, considering the fact that such investments are beneficial in their own right and can lead to greater productivity and lower health care costs. If such unwarranted deaths are to be checked, health must become an important priority for policy makers.
We expect that with the demise of Craig, those in authorities will wake up to this reality.
-Adieu, Yinka, the maestro.
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