By Socrates Odje, Warri.
The life of Warri-based Mrs. Janet Ogbonna who has malignant cancer of the anus is now hanging delicately in the balance following a quite notice given to her by the owner of the one room apartment she lives. The one room apartment situated somewhere along the popular Refinery Road, Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria is where Mrs. Ogbonna and her son Ogbonna Chidi Uchechukwu lives.
Mrs. Ogbonna, a native of Imo state who has been denied all form of support since her husband died more than two decades ago, was diagnosed of the cancer of the anus in 2008 at Federal Medical Center Queen Elizabeth Hospital Umuahia Abia State. And for the past 6 years, live has turned happiness upside down for the widow who has gone the length and breadth of the country in search for cure of the strange illness that has turned her to object of ridicule.
Adding salt to injury is the fact that she is no longer wanted in her present abode, a situation that has thrown his son Uchechukwu a part time under graduate student of the Delta State University Abraka into confusion as hope is almost lost to the survival or other wise of her sick mother.


Uchechukwu Ogbonna and his mother Janet Ogbona, the lady with Anus Cancer
Needless to say that Mrs. Ogbona and her immediate family has spent all they have since the sickness struck in such a delicate area. She has since left her fate to providence as Mrs. Ogbonna’s chance of ever testing happiness in life again now depend on the goodwill of good – spirited people on who she has hung all hopes and gone cap in hand in begging in frantic effort to raise the sum of N10.8 million required to fly her to India for treatment.
It would have been better if Mrs. Ogbonna does the begging herself but the excruciating pain and offensive odour couple with the fact that she cannot walk neither can she stand straight has subjected Uchechukwu, her last born to be on the street on a daily basis meeting and sharing his bad experience to the people with hope that one day, God will touch the hearts of public spirited individuals to come to the aid of his 63 years old mother.
It takes individuals who are strong willed to look at Uchechukwu’s mothers picture the second time. Apart from the fact that the ailment is occupying a sensitive area, the pictures display a gory sight of vastly spreading infection that has almost covered her private. One may be forced to ask why the family waited for so long before taking action and the answer Uchechukwu has provided by saying that as a widow with three surviving jobless children without help from anywhere, they have tried their best.
Uchechukwu Chidi Ogbonna has virtually turned the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Warri Correspondents Chapel Press Centre to his house. And this brings us to the question as to what Uchechukwu want at the NUJ Press Centre in Warri? Is the NUJ Secretariat a hospital where such ailments are cured or does NUJ have such whopping sum amount N10.8Million to sponsor her mother’s treatment abroad? None of these questions is close to what Uchechukwu want. All he wanted is for the media to help publicize his mother’s strange ailment with the hope that one day there will be response locally or internationally.
The 63 years old woman with her son have joined their voices together to call on the Nigeria’s federal Government, Governor Rochas Okorocha, the Governor of their home state, Imo State, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State where they have lived for close to two decades, public spirited individuals, religious organizations and the international community to come to their rescue.
In one of his numerous visits, Uchechukwu was force to ask the question, “Mike why is it that my mother’s case has failed to attract attention in spite of the numerous publicities in both the print and electronic media? The case of Cynthia Osokogwu the girl that was killed by internet fraud stars attracted so much attention, why is my mother’s cry not answered? One can go on and on.
According to Uchechukwu Chidi Ogbonna, “I am no longer thinking of my school; even to feed is a problem. I cannot feed in that condition that I see my mother day in and day out. My mother is in pain. She cannot sit down; she can’t even stand up right. My brother do you know how my mother sleeps, she sleep on her kneels daily as if she is praying. How do you think I will leave you alone? I want government at all levels to hear her case. I want my mother to live again because that is all I have. My father died at a very tender stage of my life. I don’t even know him and my mother has been taking care of us. I don’t want to lose her,”
“The worst is that we have been given a quit notice to vacate the one room apartment we are staying. That has compounded our problem and you know the people of this area nobody will allow my mother to park into his or her compound in that condition. Where do we go from here Imo State or where? Even if we decide to go back to our state where do we start from? That is the reason why I am calling for help to raise the N10.8Milllion naira for her treatment in India. We have gone to churches, hospitals but nothing seems to be happening.”
“If my mother bounces back to life I wouldn’t mind packing to anywhere but in her present condition it is not possible to get a house. I want her to be treated. My mother is still a young woman. I don’t want to lose my only surviving parent now hence I am making this passionate appeal for the public to come to our aid. Please we beg the public to come our aid. Please, we beg the public to help us to survive this. Now, the ailment has degenerated to the stage we were referred to India for proper treatment.”
The sympathetic nature of the family of the Ogbona’s aside believing in God for His intervention, requires both Government religious organizations and Non Government Organisations even donor agencies to restore the health of the woman that single handedly bring up her children after the death of her husband.
Note : You can reach the family or you can pay into First Bank Account Number:
2006458236 with name Ogbonna Chidi Uchechukwu .