By Steve Oko
The final year student of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, who gave birth to quintuplets, has appealed for assistance by Government, corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals, to enable her take care of her five babies.
Oluomachi Nwojo, 24, reads Forestry at MOUAU, and would have graduated this year but for the seven-month- old and on-going strike action by university lecturers.
She was successfully delivered of the quintuplets – two boys and three girls – on Monday night ( October 3) at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia.
While the three female babies were with her at the Nkasiobi Ward where they are being catered for, the two male babies are still at the “In-born” unit of the hospital where they are receiving special attention.
Since the news of the birth broke out, the hospital maternity Ward has become a Mecca of sorts as residents are trooping in their numbers to see things for themselves.
As at Wednesday evening when our Correspondent visited the hospital, the young mother was still too weak to respond to inquiries. She, however, managed to tell Omohglobal that she was happy about the special blessing, and for safe delivery.
However, she appealed for help to enable her take adequate care of the babies.
Investigation revealed that Oluomachi who is the second child in a family of six has a humble family background.
Her father is a tailor in Umuahia who is barely struggling to survive while the mother processes and sells pap.
Further investigation also revealed that Oluomachi herself is also a twin.
Oluomachi’s father, Mr Oru Nwojo who was at the hospital together with her younger sister attending to her, told our correspondent that he was happy with the blessing of five grandchildren.
He, however, quickly added that the family was not financially prepared for them in view of the economic implications of catering for quintuplets.
He, therefore, solicited help from members of the public to enable the family cope with the challenges of the special blessing.
“ I already have six children of my own plus these additional five babies at once. It’s a blessing but I need assistance to be able to cope”, he said.
He appreciated some individuals who heard about the incident and came to identify with them, but added that so much was still needed to take care of the babies and their mother.
Mr Nwojo who gave his contact as 08135752835, expressed optimism that God would provide for the babies who he said had great destinies.
We further gathered that the father of the quintuplets was however, yet to show up at the hospital as at the time of the visit although reasons for this were still sketchy.
A source confided in our Correspondent that the brother of the babies’ father had visited the previous day. Oluomachi’s mother, Mrs Priscilla Nwojo, had during an earlier visit by our Correspondent, also expressed joy over the blessing of five grandchildren.
She, nonetheless, noted that such uncommon blessing usually comes with its peculiar challenges.
The 56-year-old grandmother who was said to have gone back to their house for an errand during the second visit by our Correspondent, had earlier told us that providing for quintuplets under the prevailing economic situation in Nigeria needed special grace from God.
“ I thank God for this special gift. I’m a trader. I deal on pap and my husband is a tailor. We will be happy if Government can come to our help because it’s not easy to take care of one (baby), not to talk of five. But we thank God in everything”.
Meanwhile, a reliable source informed that the Abia State Government was contemplating giving automatic employment to the mother of the quintuplets to make life easy for the family.
A top Government official who would not want to be disclosed, said that an approval had been secured from the Governor to give her automatic job.
“ But the concern now is how to give her a job as a graduate. If she is employed now that she has not graduated from the university, it means she will be engaged with her O’Level certificate and by the time she gets her degree certificate, she will start running around for regularisation which is not easy most times.
“But we are looking for a way to save her from such hassles”, the top Government official said.
In a chat with our Correspondent after visiting the hospital, Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, thanked God over the safe delivery of the babies.
He said that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had initiated steps to empathize with the family, disclosing that the Governor’s wife had already taken some actions to that effect.
Later in an interview, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor’s wife, Mr Chika Ojiegbe confirmed that the Governor’s wife had sent emissaries who visited the family and made some donations.
He said that the Governor’s wife would continue to identify with the children and their parents to make things easy for them.
Meanwhile, political office seekers, it was gathered have continued to pay visit to the hospital after the news was broken on Tuesday which was also reviewed on local radio stations.
On whether the hospital would consider any waiver for the babies regarding the medical bill, the Public Relations Officer, FMC Umuahia, Mr Darlington Madubuko, said that it was the prerogative of the Chief Medical Director, CMD, to decide.
He said that the CMD could decide if he wished, to give them some consideration based on the peculiar nature of the birth.
On inquiries on what their medical bill could be, the PRO said they had not been discharged, so he had no ideas yet of what their bill would be. Inquiries revealed that it costs about N250,000 to be delivered of a baby through caesarean section (CS) at the FMC Umuahia.
The charge could be more depending on other factors surrounding the delivery.
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