VIDEO: "I saved money but not up to N500k", husband of late pregnant woman reacts to Abati's criticism
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Akinbobola Folajimi, the grieving husband whose pregnant wife tragically died after reportedly being denied medical care due to an upfront deposit demand of ₦500,000, has… pic.twitter.com/OeJRRDnUEI
Akinbobola Folajimi, the grieving husband whose pregnant wife tragically died after reportedly being denied medical care due to an upfront deposit demand of ₦500,000, has issued a response following public criticism from journalist and former presidential media adviser, Reuben Abati.
Abati, speaking during a segment on Arise Television on Tuesday, questioned Folajimi’s financial preparedness, suggesting that he should have made adequate savings in anticipation of childbirth expenses.
Abati had said: “You had nine months to prepare. You impregnated a woman and showed up at the hospital begging for care without a deposit. That’s irresponsible.
“The whole substance of this conversation is that according to Mr Folajimi, when he got to Al-Salam Convalescent Centre as the hospital is called, he was asked to deposit N500, 000 and the man was saying ‘please admit my wife, I will go and look for the money’.
“When you impregnate a woman, you can’t come at nine months and you are saying ‘just treat her, let me go and look for the money.’ There are many people who do that. They put you under pressure.
“Mr Folajimi behaved in an irresponsible manner.”
Reacting to Abati’s statement, Folajimi in a video shared online on Thursday, defended himself, saying he did his best with what he had.
He said: “With due respect, this is not my first child. When my wife was pregnant, we were taking care of her to the best of my ability and I never came public or to you to ask for you to borrow me money for antenatal or feed my children.
“Excuse me Sir, I saved money but I didn’t save up to N500, 000. I saved money for that day but they asked for N500, 000 deposit, not full payment. I didn’t have that. All the money that I could have gathered that day wouldn’t have passed N100, 000.
“I don’t know if it is an offence not to have up to N500, 000 when your wife is about to give birth. I don’t know if it is an offence to now live below N500, 000 but you are now saying it is the ‘highest irresponsibility’ because I don’t have N500, 000. So it is even a crime to be poor in Nigeria.”