Lawmaker Submits Petition On Behalf Of Widow Owed $226,000 By Ministry Of Foreign Affairs

The Member Representing Arochukwu/Ohaofia Federal Constituency, has submitted a petition on behalf of Mrs. Mary Ejiogu, a widow of Mr. Lawrence Okechukwu Ejiogu, an Assistant Director of Accounts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who died 10 years ago while on foreign service.

Late Mr Ejiogu died while on a mission in Singapore 10 years ago.

Since the death of her husband, Mrs Ejiogu has struggled with financial and mental torture following alleged refusal of the ministry to refund her $226,000 and N750,000 she borrowed to treat and repatriate her husband back to Nigeria.

In the petition addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the widow explained that on July 5, 2012, her late husband was deployed on a foreign mission to Singapore.

The ministry funded all expenses and flight tickets for the late staff, his wife and their four registered children, and was duly issued an Identification Card with Staff Reference No: 5/Aa.11,406.

But things turned soar for the late staff of the ministry who was posted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14th July, 2006.

While serving at Singapore, he unfortunately took ill, and was diagnosed with colorectal cancer which later spread to his spleen, liver and pancreas.

A series of surgeries were done and after several months of treatment, he became unconscious and had to be flown back to Nigeria.

At the peak of his illness, the hospital, through the surgeon in charge of the case wrote the then Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Mrs. Nonye B. Rajis Okpara, MFR, to repatriate the deceased back to Nigeria by Air ambulance because an ordinary airline without life support could not be used.

“The said Ambassador wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing them of the situation on ground and because of the urgency of the whole thing, the Ambassador who said there was no money in the Mission took me to Toleram Group Corporation PTE Ltd,” she stated.

Luckily for the widow, Toleram Group Corporation PTE Ltd. raised money for the air ambulance to the tune of S$150,000,000 (One Hundred and Fifty thousand Singaporean Dollar), which was divided into a cheque of S$70,000 and cash of S$80,000, an equivalent of USD$120,000.

However, the lender gave her the loan after an undertaking that she must pay back when they get back to Nigeria, “after getting refund from Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Subsequently, the late diplomat was flown to Nigeria on life support, alongside some Singaporean doctors who insisted that he must be taken to a hospital that had life support machine.

“So, he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Willngton Hospital, Maitama where he finally died after five days, and incurred a bill of N750,000.00 only,” she narrated.

According to the widow, the former Ambassador, Mrs. Nonye B. Rajis Okpara wrote to the minister of foreign affairs pleading that the ministry should refund the sum of USD226,016.00 to the deceased family for air ambulance fee and medical bills.

However, the ministry instead placed an obituary notice, gave the widow the sum of N1,030,000.00 (One Million Three Thirty Thousand Naira) in two instalments for the burial. A letter of condolence was also sent to her.

Ten Years Later, Ministry Denies Late Staff

In a twist of events, when late Ejiogu’s widow wrote the ministry for the refund of $226,000, the ministry denied that he was ever a staff.

“They replied that my husband was not a staff of Foreign Affairs, rather I should go to the Office of the Accountant-General for his entitlements,” she stated.

“All efforts made for them to refund me the money proved abortive, the pressure from the lender became so unbearable so I decided to sell our family house to offset the loan.

“The said undertaking was inside the file I submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which they claimed was misplaced; including all the receipts of the medical bills, laboratory results, Xray, MRI and other relevant documents to his case, upon our return to Nigeria.”

Lawmaker, Ibe Okwara-Osonwa Demands Justice

The Member Representing Arochukwu/Ohaofia Federal Constituency, while presenting the petition on the floor of the House, described the development as an injustice.

He said Mrs. Mary Ejiogu’s case is one of the many cases of injustice faced by families of Nigerians who died serving the country in various capacities.

“The Ministry had assured her that the cost would be reimbursed. The promise was not kept.

“This is a matter of justice and accountability. When institutions fail to honour their word, trust is broken. Not just for a family, but for all citizens who expect fairness and dignity from government,” Okwara-Osonwa said.

Lawmaker Submits Petition On Behalf Of Widow Owed $226,000 By Ministry Of Foreign Affairs is first published on The Whistler Newspaper