Article published in The Nation Newspaper
08/08/2007
Dr Justin Uku, eminent Pathologist in Nigeria and retired County Medical Examiner, Erie County, Buffalo in the USA died recently. Our families ‘are’ best friends for three generations. Uncle Justin, my father, Dr Abayomi Marinho’s friend, was a man of great character. I remember his blue 180 D Benz or his Saab dropping us off or visiting him at General Hospital, Lagos while we, his children Johnny, David and Peter and I, were in St Gregory’s College in the 60s. Ayo and Barbara Anne came later. His wife, Aunty Olive, was a life line of maternal affection always with a large jug of lemony something and biscuits for us. She was never without a book – a lesson for us all and her library was something else. There were memorable ‘goodnight’ times in Taylor Drive and Wakeman Street. As a government doctor Dr Uku worked around the country and as the first forensic pathologist specialist he worked at the Federal Pathology Department of GH becoming Federal Deputy Director of Medical Services. General Hospital’s current capacity for the care of dead Nigerians are disgraceful. Dr Uku saw the writing on the wall early on about Nigeria’s potential political travails, the evil ethnicity and injustice to be visited like a political and pecuniary plague of political and military locusts on all professionals and Nigeria, a country struggling not to become a pathological corpse. In 1970, at fifty, he left for the USA where he did Board exams to get into the American system. This is a lesson in tenacity to our politically suppressed professions. He became the County Medical Examiner in Erie, Buffalo, retiring after 25 years, another life time, of distinguished service and with his family of Elaine and children Leslie and Melissa.
Our loss was America’s gain. I am irritated at the corrupt who then insist we should sink or swim in Nigeria which is a corrupt cesspool supervised by the civil service and political class. Dr Justine Uku was among our early unrecognised medical ambassadors who established their own and Nigeria’s credentials abroad before 419, profligate theft and the political class tarnished our collective international reputation later. Uncle Justin of course remained a shining example of what Nigerians could be when given the right tools. We remember him for many things but particularly his medical distinction, particular laugh and fantastic record collection which specialised in jazz. Ray Charles and Sam Cook were my favourites. God Bless and Rest In Peace and thank you.
The budget and equipment for investigation and service at the Pathology Department, Erie County, Buffalo exceeds the entire Nigerian budget for all pathologists in a Nigeria seeking to be ‘among the top 20 economies’. Nigeria is going nowhere until its ignored professionals are listened to and learned from. Economists and bankers are not the only professionals to be listed on the ‘Nigerian Professional Stock Exchange’.
In the 21st Century, forensic pathology is an essential leading science requiring a large budget for keenly trained minds, a sealed crime scene, digital photography, finger printing expertise, knowledge of detection techniques and rapid common histology services. In Nigeria, common digital camera, computer and computer data base no de. Shame. Just watch TV and see NCSI, to know how far backward Nigeria’s political class have forced our professionals to remain by cutting our budgets. By now we should have ten story Lagos and Federal Pathology/ Forensic Crime Investigation & Mortuary facilities. No wonder Funso Williams’ and other cases remain politically and pathologically unsolved. So do not expect any Nigerians to rush home to our underbudgeted empty dirty laboratories and hospitals. Standards have to be international meeting new NMA, NAFDAC and SON criteria. Uncle Justin visited enough to confirm the wisdom of his move. The Lagos- Benin ‘experience’ is worse and the South-South Lagos-Warri Road remains a pipe dream. As for the railways-What railways? All consuming billions in budgets signifying nothing.
One lesson from Dr Justin Uku is that professionals and bodies like the NMA must speak out and take control of their destinies from the politicians. Living in Nigeria is a ‘punishment from man’ not God. It should not be a ‘sacrifice’ while the politicians and civil servants ‘sacrifice’ others on their criminal rampage of Nigeria. Listen to many billions misused. Just N1b could buy N20,000 worth of up to 40 books, for each of our 70,000 schools or 1-2million wooden or even plastic chairs for our students like the ones shown in Kano schools shown on NTA. Kano gets billions in LGA money so who is fooling whom? Imagine what N20b should have done. The electricity supply, 2-4megawatts when we need 40Mw, is organised crime and military and political negligence and corruption in the supply and the tariff discrimination. Nigerian citizens become corpses from electricity failure which causes kerosene explosions, petrol fires and generator fumes. Past politicians should pay for this crime. The empty-headed nonperforming rulership wallowing in maximum pathological planlessness have no moral right to be at NEC Meetings. They should be in jail for ‘failure to discharge duty and accessories to murder’ and ‘Crimes against Nigeria’. Pathologists see many Nigerians who would not be dead if stolen money was correctly applied to roads, health, housing, water, education and sanitation. Who killed them? Forensic pathologists, like Dr Uku, know that the corrupt politicians killed them through inaction or theft. Many politicians are murderers with people’s blood on their hands.