UNIZIK Graduate’s Fight for Life

David-Chyddy Eleke met and spoke with Francis Agumadu whose dream in life is hanging in the balance as a result of illness which has sapped his family of all available funds, and has also left him in pain

Master Francis Agumadu, a graduate of Surveying and Geoinfomatics from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, aged 27 is one man who looked forward to life after school and hoped to commence practice in his area of training, but his dream was cut short, at least for now by what he describes a mysterious illness that have turned out to be renal kidney disease, which is also known as kidney failure.

First it was his father, Mr. Christian Agumadu, a native of Awba Ofemili in Awka North Local Government that called this reporter to arrange an interview with his son who needs help, later the son also called. Except for some signs of weakness in his voice, nothing else suggested that he was a totally bedridden person who could do virtually nothing on his own without assistance. Though he was not forceful in his speech, he spoke calmly in polished English that would convince anyone that he saw the four walls of a university.

Francis in an interview with THISDAY stated that his problem started in 2014 after he had graduated from the university and waiting to go for his one year compulsory youth service. According to him, he had fallen sick just about the time he was expecting his call up letter, and he had thought it be slight malaria. “I told my parents, and they took me to hospital where I was treated, but the illness persisted, leading to my shelving the idea of going to service that year,” he said.

He said that his case later turned out to be kidney failure, and that since then, he has remained bedridden, just as his parents have spent a lot of money and sold their properties and also borrowed money severally to keep him alive. “My parents have sold everything they have. My father has sold all his inherited land, his car and any property that belonged to him that is worth anything. Same for my mother who has sold her wrappers, jewelry and others, but the painful thing is that they spend this money on me and I am not getting well at all.”

The frail and skeletally looking graduate of Surveying and Geoinfomatics continued, “I owe my parents everything, and wish I can get better to repay them for what they have done for me. That is why I made efforts to contact and speak with the press today. See my father and mother, their businesses have all failed, yet they need money for me to stay alive. To be alive today, I have to visit Enugu, two times a week for dialysis, and I have to be infused with a pint or two pints of blood each time I visit Enugu for dialysis. “This is really costing my family a lot of money, my father sold the last piece of land where he would have built his own house in my village recently, just to help me get dialysis and blood for the next week, and as I speak with you, the money has finished. Apart from drugs, transportation and others, the dialysis and blood is N50,000 each time I go there, and I do so twice every week. The doctors have just confirmed to us that my kidney are at its last stage of functioning, and that would be the end for me, except I am able to get a transplant.

“That is why I am calling on Anambra people and Nigerians in general to help me to stay alive. We were told that the sum total of N11million is needed for the transplant, and that would be in India. I am calling on Nigerians not to abandon me please, they should come to my aid and help me live to practice what I spent years in school to learn,” he said in tears.

He was particularly pained that his friends and course mates have all moved ahead after youth service. He said his course was a professional course, and he was looking forward to practicalising what he had learnt by going into the profession immediately after service. He fantasized about how he hoped that he would have joined the oil and gas industry at some point in his career, but regretted that all these were now pipe dreams.

As Francis granted this interview sitting at the balcony of their rented apartment in Awka, his mum who could not hold back tears broke down sobbing, but it took the courage of Francis’ father, Christian who also spoke with THISDAY to order her to the room as he claimed she was a distraction. Speaking, Francis’ father said he was still in shock as to the reason for the illness, claiming it was not natural. He said they have tried to find out some of the causes of renal disease, but none of the causes seemed associated with his son, and believed that his enemies were just at work in his family.

“I am just pleading with Nigerians to come to our aid, so that my son can get a transplant in India. The cost has been put at N11million.This my son’s illness has turned me into a mad man, I have become shameless, as I have been collating phone numbers on well to do people in Anambra and have been calling and begging for help. I have called several people, including past governors, some I was able to speak with, others their numbers never connected or they did not take my call. But I cannot stop because the life of my son is involved,” Agumadu begged.

Agumadu, a once successful businessman, who travelled to Cameroon and other African countries to buy crayfish, which he supplied around Anambra State pleaded with Nigerians to please come to their aid, displaying test results and several dialysis reports conducted on his son. He begged interested Nigerian to reach him through his mobile line, 08062522367.