The National Coordinator of All Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disorder (APLSCD) and Director of Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home in Agulu, Anambra State, Mrs. Aisha Edwards Maduagwu, has rained vituperations, curses and abuses on people making fortunes from the misfortunes of people living with sickle cell disorder.
Mrs. Maduagwu rained the curses while reacting to a report entitled “UniAbuja, others secure £5m for sickle cell research“.
According to the report, the University of Abuja, alongside several other institutions, “secured over £5 million to advance sickle cell research across sub-Saharan Africa”.
The Director of Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Research and Training (NCESTRA) at the UniAbuja, Prof. Obiageli Nnodu, disclosed this during patient-centered Sickle Cell Disease Management in Sub-Saharan Africa (PACTS) workshop held at the institution.
Prof. Nnodu, who also heads the Centre for Sponsored Projects at the university, said the initiative is aimed at enhancing the ability of African institutions to undertake world-class sickle cell research through capacity development.
The report states in part: ““Research is a very important vehicle for national development and it is good for African institutions to have the capacity to do research strengthening through training and then through putting the right infrastructure in place, not only to win grants, but to monitor, manage and carry out the research projects and to be able to report and implement findings from research projects into the society, into policy.
““So, this capacity strengthening workshop is a very important one in our university because over the past four years, we have had significant increases in the number of research grants that we are getting, but we also have what I would tend to say is a population, a faculty that needs to have their capacity built to participate in funded research,” she explained.
“Prof. Nnodu, who serves as Co-Principal Investigator on PACTS, added that the project involves institutions in Ghana, Zambia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
““It’s a research that we are carrying out with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Health and Allied Science and Technology, and University of Zambia Teaching Hospital. So, it’s over 5 million pounds (grant),” she noted.”
The report adds: “Prof. Imelda Bates, Principal Investigator for PACTS, described the approach as transformative because it places patients at the centre of the research.
““It is patient-centred sickle cell disease management in Sub-Saharan Africa which is a totally new way of doing research because it puts the patients at the centre. So we talk to them about their problems and then we try to address some of those through research.
““Obviously, Nigeria is the place to do this because Nigeria has by far the biggest population in the world of those living with sickle cell disease. So, it’s clearly an absolute priority for the country to do research on sickle cell disease.
“So the project is led by myself and Professor Nnodu jointly and it also has partners in Kumasi in Ghana and Lusaka in Zambia as well as University in the US and Imperial College in London,” she said.”
Reacting, Maduagwu lamented that the so-called researchers are actually callous and mean considering the way they treat sickle cell patients.
“These people are a group of mindless gang-ups,” she said.
“I ask God to punish these people for me in hell fire,” she lamented.
She cited the Anambra State “Law to repeal the Anambra State Sickle Cell Disease (Control and Eradication) Law, 2002 and enact the Anambra State Sickle Cell Disease” and regretted that neither medical practitioners, government officials nor other responsible citizens are working to assist sickle cell patients.
The Law stated amongst other things:
“There shall be a subsidized State Health Insurance Scheme on laboratory test and drugs for the sickle cell patients with SCS certificate in the State.
“(1) There shall be a Sickle Cell Clinic to be run by a hematologist in all general hospitals and any other hospitals designated by the Commissioner within the State.
(2) All sickle cell clinics shall:
(a) be installed with necessary laboratory equipment and shal l conduct mandatory diagnosis of newborn screening especially at birth;
(b) be responsible for conducting hemoglobin genotype test and any other test peculiar to sickle cell carriers;
(c) carry out routine checkup and treatment on carriers;
(d) issue each person upon whom a hemoglobin genotype test is carried out on with an SCS Certificate which shall be in the Form shown in the Schedule to this Law; and
(e) educate and counsel sickle cell patients on every visit of the patients to the clinic.”
Unfortunately, she cried, non is being implemented to the benefit of present and future patients, rather medical practitioners are living large from sickle cell patients.
Igbo-speaking audience can listen to Maduagwu pouring invectives on people making fortunes from the misfortunes of sickle cell patients below:
In a related development, another concerned Anambra citizen, Mr. Edozie Maduagwu, in an article entitled “Not So Honourable With The 8th Anambra State House Of Assembly“, regretted that “the once revered and respected Anambra State House of Assembly that produced eminent legislators, men and women of great character who sponsored life changing bills, served the public diligently with all their strength, is fast becoming a distant apparition of its former glory”.
Mr. Maduagwu sang the praises of “legislators in Anambra State… 6th Assembly, which paraded the best brains in the business of lawmaking”.
He wrote: “Notably, I sat through some of the proceedings, observing the process to enact the Anambra State Sickle Cell Disease (Control and Eradication) Law, 2019, which inevitably fell within the time schedule of other notable bills, like the Burial Law.
“I vividly recall the day the sickle cell law was passed, and Madam Speaker, Hon Mrs Rita Maduagwu, looked upwards where I was seated in the gallery, alongside other representatives of the Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, parents and caregivers alike, who came in large numbers to witness the epic passage, assuring hope to the sickle cell community, as she made her final declarations.
“This was after Hon Paschal Agbodike, had delivered a touching speech, on why everyone should support the sickle cell cause.
“As the speaker’s gavel struck the sounding block for the sickle cell bill to become law, wild jubilations erupted from the gallery, thus making Anambra, the first state in the federation to pass the sickle cell law.
“Sadly, six years after the epic legislation and accent of the sickle cell law, nothing is being done to implement the provisions that would guarantee the total eradication of sickle cell disorder. The irony of life!
“For this purpose, I once again salute the bravery, courage, and doggedness, of members of the 6th assembly, for delivering the most vibrant, radiant, and intellectually captivating legislative assemblage in the annals of Anambra State.
“I want to use this opportunity to express my utmost gratitude to RT. Hon Rita Maduagwu, whom the Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, is specially celebrating in this August women summit.
“A compassionate mother and many more, Rt. Rita Maduagwu, deserves huge accolades for standing up tall for the less privileged.
In the current 8th House of Assembly, where the expectations of the downtrodden are neglected and dashed by some women whom are expected to rise in their favour, Rt. Hon Rita Maduagwu, would forever remain a shining example.
“Categorically speaking, I would love to dispense my encomiums on the person who is the sponsor of the sickle cell law, Engr Charles Ezeani, former representative of Anaocha 2 Constituency.
“Engr Ezeani’s level of intelligence is a treasure trove to anyone fortunate to work with him.
“Unassuming, patient, resourceful and credible, Engr Ezeani with his youthful vigour is the one man to look out for in Anambra future political terrain.
“…I am moved to give my sincerest gratitude and honour to these gentlemen and ladies of the 6th assembly, for distinguishing themselves creditably, and laying the yardstick for future legislatures to measure to…
“Posterity would forever remain kind to you all.”
In the meantime, a kind, unnamed philanthropist, in Anambra State has donated free Health Insurance Cards to All Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disorder (APLSCD) in the state.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reported that the donor also promised to renew all cards every year, besides donating other palliatives and drugs.
Maduagwu called on all sickle cell patients to come to the Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home on Saturday, September 6, 2025, to collect their copies of the cards.
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