Former Oyo State Military Governor and one- time Works and Housing Minister, rtd Major General Abdulkarim Adisa is now confirmed dead. He died Friday morning New York time in a London hospital where he had undergone a surgical operation after an auto crash last weekend in Kwara State.
A close source to the late General confirmed the death, but could not tell details of burial arrangement since as a Moslem, the burial normally follows promptly. But his body is expected to be flown back home very soon.
Adisa, a leading pro-IBB 2007 campaigner was flown abroad last Sunday after sustaining injuries in the car crash. He was flown to a London hospital for medical treatment following serious injury he sustained in the accident on Saturday night.
Reports said the accident, a lone one, according to eye witness account occurred when one of the rear wheels of the jeep conveying the former minister bursted between Oke-Onigbin and Edidi at around 8:00pm on Saturday. Adisa was then rushed to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital[UITH],Ilorin where a surgical operation was conducted. But a decision was taken to transfer him abroad because of the seriousness of the injuries and the incapacity of the hospital to handle the situation completely.
In very recent times, Adisa is another addition of news-making Nigerian names who have died as a result of the inability of Nigerian hospitals to take a conclusive care of them. Several million other Nigerians must face such situations without being heralded. it is a sad commentary on the dilapidating hospitals in the country, where several talented and well trained doctors stand helpless seeing their patients die due to lack of proper healthcare delivery facilities and instruments.
Not too long ago, former Minister of State for Communications, Alhaji Haruna Elewi, was on his way to London for malaria treatment when he died in the aircraft. He had opted to be treated in London for malaria, although his daughter, a pharmacist, and his son-in-law, a doctor, both practise in Nigeria.
Adisa was a controversial military functionary who came to limelight in the late 80s and early 90s as military governor of Oyo State under the Babangida military dictatorship. he later became a federal minister under another military tyranny-the Abacha junta, where he was in charge of Works and Housing. It was during the Abacha junta that Adisa and others including General Oladipo Diya were accused of planning a coup against Abacha and were sentenced to death by the General Victor Malu-led military tribunal. But before the sentence could be carried out Abacha died and the General Abubakar Abdusalami regime which took over commuted the sentence and later released but Adisa and the others involved were yet to be granted state pardon at the time he died.
Another military officer, General Rufus Ikupolati formerly ECOMOG Commander also died yesterday in an accident between Lokoja and Abuja.
Adisa was said to be coming from Iyah-Gbede in Kogi State after attending the birthday ceremonies of the mother of the former Police Affairs Minister, Maj. Gen. David Jemibewon [rtd].
In another account, Adisa's aide was reported as saying the Jeep in which Adisa was traveling with his driver and a personal security officer had a burst tyre, which made the vehicle to lose control and hit a tree. But the two aides, however, escaped uninjured.
According to the aide, Adisa was rushed to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital around 10pm where he was admitted at the VIP wing of the Ward Five of the hospital from where he was transported in an ambulance to the Ilorin International Airport for the London trip.
By 6:00pm on Sunday arrangements were already in top gear to fly him out. The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the UITH, Dr. Gbenga Mokuolu, said the former minister was brought into the hospital around 10pm in a "critical condition." When newsmen visited the hospital on Sunday, sympathisers, including the former governor of Lagos State, Brig. Gen. Raji Rasaki [rtd] were seen in groups discussing the incident. Also in attendance were Kwara state Commissioner for Health, Dr.. Bola Olaosebikan, his counterpart in the Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Lanre Daibu and other government officials.
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So poor Nigerias die everyday without even a chance to make to a facility like University of Illorin, talk less of been flown to London. Not to sound uncaring, but is good things like this continue to happen, to expose that making healthcare a priority is not for the poor only.
Adisa buried, family awaits autopsy report • Former Deputy Senate President dies in London
Yusuf Alli, Doyin Adebusuyi, and Akin Olukunle
The remains of the former Minister of Works and Housing, Alhaji Abdulkarim Adisa, were on Sunday interred at his Government Reservation Area residence in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The burial took place barely two hours after his body arrived the Ilorin International Airport around 10.05am from Lagos.
Alhaji Mohammed Bashir, the Chief Imam of Ilorin, led the prayers after which family members and sympathisers interred his remains amidst weeping.
Shortly before the burial, which was witnessed by some prominent Nigerians, our correspondents gathered that the Adisa family was awaiting the autopsy report on the former minister.
The dignitaries were the Chief of Staff (Presidency), Maj. Gen. Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd); former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida; former military Governor of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Raji Rasaki (rtd); Governors Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara); Uzor Kalu (Abia); Alhaji Raheed Ladoja (Oyo); and Abdukadir Kure (Niger).
The Minister of Health, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo; the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, Justice Mustapha Akanbi; the Kwara State Chairman, Yoruba Council of Elders, Senator Sulaiman Salawu; former Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal; the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola Alao; the Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice Timothy Oyeyipo; and the National President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Bayo Ojo, were also in attendance.
The roll call also included the former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Rotimi Fakeye; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) University of Ilorin, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; and the former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Sunday Adewusi.
Adisa's body arrived in Ilorin in a chartered aircraft marked 5N-BEY accompanied by his close associates, and his daughter, Mariam.
Adisa was flown to Luton Hospital, London, on February 20 for treatment following an injury he sustained in an accident along Ilorin-Omu-Aran Road while returning from Iyah-Gbede where he had gone to attend the birthday of the mother of Maj-Gen. David Jemibewon (rtd).
As soon as the aircraft arrived, the remains were immediately moved into an ambulance marked FG16H12 owned by the UITH where Adisa had been operated upon before being taken to the London hospital.
At the airport to receive the body were the former Military Administrator of Osun State, Theophilus Bamigboye and Senator Tunde Ogbeha.
As the corpse was being taken home, sympathisers including students sang in Yoruba, condemning his death.
Some commercial vehicle and okada operators abandoned their duties to pay their last respects to Adisa whom some of them described as "our benefactor."
The police and men of the Federal Road Safety Commission found it difficult to control people who intermittently surged to catch a glimpse of the late general.
Babangida described Adisa's death as a "great loss" to Kwara State and the nation in general.
Kalu said the late general was a "personal friend," who "he supported me in all aspects of life."
"He was a great man, he would be remembered like a hero and I feel so bad that he is not here today."
Lawal described the death as a "great shock," adding "I have lost a confidant and a friend."
Ojo said Adisa would be remembered for a very long time.
"He touched so many lives. He would be remembered as somebody who touched so many lives. His relations should imbibe his good virtues," he said.
In his words, a former governor of Kwara, Alhaji Sha'ba Lafiagi, said it would be difficult to replace Adisa.
He described the late Adisa as a "consummate pursuer of truth," adding "it is indeed a big loss to the Peoples Democratic Party family in Kwara State and the country at large."
Adisa's body had arrived in Lagos from London in the early hours of Sunday.
A Virgin Atlantic flight, which brought the body touched down at the Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos at 5.25 am.
His daughter, Mariam; Grp. Capt. Patrick Ugbana (rtd); Gen. Sam Tiedi; and Senator Musa Adede accompanied the remains from London.
Some of his close associates, including Rasaki; Maj. General Tajudeen Olanrenwaju; Ogbeha; Gen. Victor Malu; and a few family members, were at the airport to receive the corpse.
Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was on his way to Abuja, commiserated with Adisa's family.
Oyinlola said, "He was my friend, my boss and a great confidant. It is a great loss."
Our correspondents gathered that the immediate family of the former Minister has not been briefed by the Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Suleiman Kuranga on the autopsy report on the general.
"We are aware that autopsy was conducted but we have not been told what killed him," a source said.
"We heard conflicting stories on his medical travails but we have not got any report. Some said Gen. Adisa died of spinal cord injury, others traced his death to a brain injury. We will know the true position from the autopsy report," he added.
Investigations revealed that the medical team preferred to brief the family after the burial.
Our source said, "Autopsy report is not a public material, it is always restricted to the immediate family.
"The wife and children of late Adisa are still mourning and the team cannot just start briefing like that."
A former Chief Medical Director of the UITH, Prof. Rotimi Fakeye said, "I cannot say anything about the autopsy but definitely, there must be an autopsy by law.
"In Britain, there must be an inquest and by law an autopsy if a patient dies. It is compulsory. But it is only the present CMD, Kuranga that can tell you if the autopsy report was been given to the family or not."
The Chairman of the Burial Committee, Alhaji Isiaka Jimoh said, "We cannot discuss autopsy report in this kind of situation. We are all in sober mood.
"I can tell you that all the documentations were completed before our friend's corpse was released. Even a certificate was attached to Adisa's corpse. So, everything is intact but we have not got any briefing on the autopsy."
Meanwhile, there were reports last night that former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Haruna Abubakar, had died in London.
Details of the circumstance of his death were, however, sketchy as at 10:30pm.
An aide to Abubakar, who was the deputy during the Chuba Okadigbo’s tenure as Senate President, confirmed the report on Sunday night. The aide, however, refused to be named.
quote:Balarabe Musa ill, may be flown abroad From Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna
FORMER Kaduna State governor and chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, is critically ill. He may be flown abroad for medical attention.
Musa, who was said to have last attended a crucial CNPP meeting in Abuja last week, returned to his residence in Kaduna with a suspected heart ailment.
He was immediately rushed to a private hospital, Jinya Hospital on Bida Road, near the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Regional Office, where he was placed on intensive medical care.
A family source said that the former governor will be flown to the United Kingdom, where he is expected to be on intensive treatment, and if possible operated upon, on Wednesday.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, has already promised to ensure that Alhaji Musa is taken to a London hospital because of the severity of the ailment.
The Guardian was, however, denied entry into the room where Alhaji Musa was receiving medical attention.
Several family members and associates were seen within the premises of the hospital.
The President of Civil Rights Congress (CRC), Malam Shehu Sani and Secretary-General of the Council of Ulamas, Major Abubakar Umar (rtd), who spoke in an interview at the weekend urged Nigerians to pray for the recovery of the elder statesman who has struggled for the development of the nation's polity.
Sani said: "I visited Alhaji Balarabe Musa in the hospital. The condition in which he is now is critical and he needs the prayers of all Nigerians.
"Already he is being scheduled to be flown abroad for medical attention in order to treat the severe heart problems and, Isha Allah we pray for his quick recovery.
"When he came back to Kaduna after the meeting, he had a serious cardiac arrest with some complications. And he personally told me that he could not stand properly for a long time, he always gets choked when he eats and he hardly slept; he got dizzy and started deteriorating in health." He continued: "So, the family had to rush him to the hospital, and I also spoke with the doctor in charge of the hospital, Dr. Tukur, who told me that the situation was critical and when I saw him, his position was actually critical."
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