Open letter to Olusegun OBASANJO | "The nightmares of 2001 Zaki Biam massacre still hunts indigenes.Victim of army brutality Mr Joseph Msughter Menze in need of urgent transplant. Read full letter here.

OPEN LETTER TO CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, ON HOW THE NIGHTMARES OF 2001 ZAKI-BIAM MASSACRE HAVE CONTINUED TO HUNT US. THE EXPERIENCE OF MR. JOSEPH MSUGHTER MENZE AND HIS N7.5 MILLION URGENT NEED FOR A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT.

Good evening sir,

I have carefully weighed options and deem it fit to communicate you on this platform as the fastest available means I believe I can be able to reach you on this pertinent issue that relates to life. The Zaki-Biam killings of October, 2001 may have come and gone, but the experience and it's spill over effects have had an untold sorrowful bearing on the life of Mr. Menze Joseph Msughter. It is unarguable that, it was under your tenure as president of this nation that, the lamentable massacre; which may not be easily forgotten by the Tiv people took place.

To, in brief unravel to you what the experience of the Mr. Joseph Menze is; on that ill-fated day, when the soldiers stormed the yam-reputed town of Zaki-Biam, Mr. Joseph alongside his cousin who was killed in the process (May his soul rest in peace) of attempting to escaped rather ran into the arms of the waiting soldiers who ordered them to lie down, which they respectfully did. About 30 minutes later, after razing down houses, the soldiers asked them to stand on their feet and opened fire on them. with the thought that, they were dead, the soldiers departed to continue their massacre in other areas of the town.

Hours later, when his parents and siblings who had departed earlier could not see them, his father, in a show of bravery and against the caution of others decided to get back to the town in search of his son, only to find him in a pool of his own blood unconscious, it was sad that, his cousin was dead before any help could get to them. Mr. Joseph who was shot four times; in his hand, waist and back was taken to Mkar Hospital, in Gboko Local Government of Benue State where he remained unconscious for days before he could recover. He remained in hospital for 2 years and 9 months before he was discharged.

Before he was discharged from the hospital, Mr. Joseph was diagnosed to have become hypertensive out of the shock of his experience and was recommended to the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi where he continued to receive medication for his condition for an upward 13 years with little or no improvement from his hypertension. Finally, in December, 2016, due to his inability to get better, he was referred to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), where he was again subjected to medical tests that diagnosed him of Chronic Kidney Disease and hepatitis C and was further referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). He made efforts to contain the hepatitis C with a particular drug that goes for N150,000. He was recommended to get 3 but could afford only 2 which are almost exhausted.

It is important at this juncture to bring to your notice that, Mr. Joseph during this period, had, despite his condition, manage to arm himself with western education to university level, as he is a graduate of Human Kinetics and Health Education from the Benue State University, Makurdi and became a basketball coach for the Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev Gboko, to cater for his wife and daughter. This lasted until his condition became critical, as he suffered swollen legs, weak knees and excessive tiredness and he had to attend hospital where he was given the referral to JUTH.

At JUTH, further diagnosis revealed that, his condition had caused his kidney to shrink to stone-size which was a huge abnormality and the solution was dialysis for eternity or a kidney transplant. With a retiree secondary school teacher of a father and a private nurse mother who could do little financially, the family opted for the dialysis. A session of the dialysis cost N33,000 inclusive of drugs and two sessions are taken weekly, amounting to N66,000 per week. The kidney transplant was valued at N7.5 Million.

Currently, Mr. Joseph can no longer afford even the cost of the dialysis which he started since January this year. The humble family has been milked dry of finances to help the young man live. They have resorted to prayers about what would be the outcome of their penurious condition. Joseph no longer takes liquid as his kidney no longer filters blood and the consumption of liquid causes his legs to swell. For weeks now Joseph has missed his dialysis and this has resulted into serious vomiting and indiscriminate passage of excrement. This is the lamentable plight of this young son of this nation.

Sir, I must bring to your notice that, for the 15 years of the sufferings of this man, he holds an ill feeling against you and Senator. Dr. George Akume who was the governor of Benue State at that time. He believes that, the action or inactions of both of you have put him through this journey of untold adversities. Maybe true, because it would not have happened this way if the attack on the farming community of Zaki-Biam did not take place. Years may have rolled by but, not just Mr. Joseph, the people of Zaki-Biam and Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State have had terrible experiences, that include lost of loved ones occasioned by the massacre.

The nexus of this open letter therefore, is to communicate you of the helpless condition Mr. Joseph has had to battle with since the occurrence of the genocide; how his family has struggled through thin to keep him alive and how a threat to the loss of his life is occasioned now that the family can not do more. I wish to reach out to you, to in the spirit of sympathy for what you could not avert come to his aid to get him through the transplant as a lasting solution to his medical woes. This will no doubt sooth his feelings and those of his family towards your person and in the long run be a commendable approach towards the preservation of the live of a promising citizen of this nation and go a long way to increase the patronage of your acceptability to the Tiv nation and the entire Benue community. Mr. Menze Joseph Msughter can be reached on mobile: 07032866983.

It remains my sincere wish that, this letter finds you in fitness of mind and body, even as the Tiv nation hopes to hear from you soon, particularly on this matter.

Yours sincerely,
Ukan Kurugh
08069082285