Remembering Dora Akunyili, one of Nigeria’s brightest stars

BY AKINWUMI IBRAHIM

On this day three years ago, little did Nigerians know that one of their dearest daughters, Dora Nkem Akunyili, a former director-general of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and one-time information minister, was to be no more.

The air was saddened as one of the brightest and unquestionable characters had succumbed to the cold hands of death at an Indian hospital after a prolonged ailment.

Unarguably, Nigerians must have missed her relentless service either in NAFDAC or Nigeria’s information room. She was not only a great gift to the Edemobis and Akunyilis, but to our great country.

Since losing this great heroine, award upon award has rolled in from both home and abroad.  One of her notable awards is the Federal Government Girls College, Calabar (FGCC) honours. She was celebrated as a role model at the school’s 43rd-anniversary ceremony. She was among the five individuals selected for the honour; with one of the newly-built hostels inaugurated and named after her.

On that day, personalities from all walks of life eulogised the late professor.

Giving a brief remark, former Cross River governor Donald Duke described her as a brand for a brand new Nigeria. He added that her name epitomises fairness, justice, equality, selfless service, determination, courage and patriotism.

” I’m yet to see any to see any Nigerian either living or dead who has surpassed her record in awards recognition. The laurels she has had showcases how far and well laboured she has been to her fatherland and beyond shores,” he said.

” I do remember when I was a sitting Governor of my state, anytime she is in Calabar, she would come see me and advise me on the way to develop my state and my people. The cleanliness of Cross Rivers today, cannot be slip away on the tongue without mentioning her name as the architect of the aesthetic environment we are enjoying in Cross Rivers.”

Ijeoma Nfon Essien, a former principal of the college, said, “Anytime we remember her, we know we have lost a rare gem in the country’s history. Not that she is beautiful facially, but also beautiful inside that her name stood for many beautiful things one could ever mention as far our country is concerned.

“Is it to talk about her meritorious service while serving in NAFDAC? Is it her being truthful by returning into the purse of the Federal government the balance of monies given for her medical treatment abroad when serving at Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF)? Or is it her letting the truth out when the country is steriled by the cabals in government? Name it, this woman is highly endowed by God to serve our nation but so painful that she could not stay longer before death snatched her from us.”

Based on her performance at NAFDAC, in 2005, at a programme, titled ‘This World,’ Akunyili was featured in ‘One Woman’s War With Fake Drugs,’ by a BBC reporter, Olenka Frenkiel.

Frenkiel noted that “counterfeit drugs are flooding the international marketplace, but Nigeria’s Dr. Dora Akunyili fights day and night to stop it. But in a culture steeped in corruption, she has not had an easy ride. When at NAFDAC, she built a new team of female inspectors and pharmacists (she believes most men are too easily tempted by bribes) and started to prosecute importers of fake drugs”.

“Before Akunyili took the job, deaths linked to fake drugs were commonplace in Nigeria. At least 41% of the drugs in circulation were thought to be counterfeit. And this, she says, was a conservative estimate. Some reports suggested as much as 80% of medicine in the country was fake. During that year, a survey of 600 samples of drugs in Nigeria suggested that the proportion had fallen to 16.7%. It is just one indicator, but it suggested that late Dora made some success.

“During her 6 years tenure at the agency, she engaged in a non-stop battle against fakes in her country. She raised public awareness of the problem through campaigns and school competitions, she increased spot checks at sea and airports, and she publicly burnt fake drugs worth more than $150m. Also, the actions of the agency led to 45 convictions and 60 court cases are pending.”

In 1988, her sister died because she was given fake insulin for diabetes. According to her, ” not only was it fake and did not contain the insulin she was supposed to take, but it was also contaminated and gave her abscesses.She did not respond to antibiotics, and we just watched helplessly until she died”.

Dora received countless death threats, assassination attempts were made on her life at the end of 2003 when she was shot at while travelling to her village.

She recalls: “Bullets shattered the back windscreen of my car, pierced my head scarf and burned my scalp like a hot water burn. A bus driver was killed on the spot.”

Again, in 2003, a kidnapping attempt was made on her youngest son, Obuneme, when he was kept at home alone. The kidnappers did not succeed and Obuneme was promptly sent to the US to join his siblings.

At a pressing time when the information about the ill heath of late president Umaru Musa Yar’Ádua’s was mismanaged, Dora made a strategic intervention.

She raised a bold memo at a federal executive council meeting, urging the council to invoke section 145 of the 1999 constitution to declare the president medically unfit to govern. She then recommended that power should be handed over to the vice president, pending Yar’Adua’s recovery. This uncommon bravery caused a faceoff between her and many northerners in the government, who apparently did not appreciate the terrible nature of the crisis the country was slipping into.

After bowing out of the federal government, Akunyili veered into politics in 2011 to serve her native Anambra state on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). But she lost at the polls to Chris Ngige, now of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a rerun election for the Anambra central senatorial district. In spite of her illness and frail look, she remained unwavering in her commitment to a better Nigeria. Dora defied her condition to be part of Anambra state handover committee of the immediate past governor, Peter Obi, and the national conference organised by the Goodluck Jonathan government.

While at the conference, she spoke extensively with burning fire and great passion for the unity and betterment of her country.

She said: “I know that God has kept me alive for a purpose, this National Conference being part of that purpose.

“However, for the avoidance of doubt, I am strong enough for this all-important National Conference and I look forward to collaborating with other delegates to chart the way for a better Nigeria”, she had noted. We must realise that millions of Nigerians are being discriminated against in various parts of this country where they are born; where their forefathers lived; based on the so-called state of origin.”

“The founding fathers of Nigeria had a dream of building a united, prosperous, and developed nation state where social justice reigns. We also have to continue to dream because once we stopped dreaming then life is gone.”

Truly, the death of Dora Akunyili left a sour taste in the mouths of not only Nigerians but the world in general. Nigerians whose lives she had touched directly or indirectly will never forget her legacy. Akunyili proved her versatility in different areas of human endeavour. She was an internationally renowned pharmacist, scholar, a seasoned administrator, and visionary leader. She was a philanthropist, wife, and a mother. If alive, she would celebrate her 62nd birthday on the 14th of next month.

SOME OF HER HONOURS

Her local and international recognitions and awards are over 800. After her demise, Dora’s honours keep coming.

As a scientist and a scholar, she presented over 20 research papers in various local and international scientific conferences, and published a book and 18 journal articles. She supervised PhD and masters candidates in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and UNN respectively.

Even as the director general of NAFDAC, Akunyili found time to supervise six post-graduate students at the College of Medicine UNN. She was also chief examiner in pharmacology for 3rd MBBS College of Medicine, Abia State University.

As a devoted Catholic, she contributed financially to many churches. Blessed Sacrament Parish, an independent layout in Enugu, named her the highest donor at its excellence performance awards.

HER FUNERAL IN AGULU, ANAMBRA STATE

Even during her burial rites in Abuja, Enugu and her hometown in Agulu, Anaocha local government area of Anambra, she was highly honoured during the five-day ceremony. Among the officiating priests were John Cardinal Onaiyekan, 28 bishops and archbishops and about 100 priests from the various dioceses in the country.

Giving testimonies about her, US-based priest, Damian Akpunonu said that she lived a life worthy of emulation as she infested love to all those who came across her, adding that because she died in the Lord, she would remain blessed.

Governor Willie Obiano, who spoke on behalf of the state, said she truly lived what Anambra stood for, which is, ‘The Light of the Nation,’ and urged Nigerians to key into the re-branding programme she initiated when she was the minister of information, which was ‘Good people, great nation’.

The magnificent Madonna Catholic Church, Agulu, was filled to capacity and traffic on Awka-Ekwulobia road was brought to a standstill for over four hours while the ceremony lasted. At a point, the road had to be closed completely, such that people travelling to other states from Anambra had to find alternative routes.

To commemorate her 3rd year anniversary, graduates and undergraduates under the aegis of Agulu youth, have organised a memorial lecture in her honour, slated for June 14 at Agulu town hall, in Anambra.

Her excellent performances appear hereditary as her four daughters and two sons are leaping high at their various career disciplines.

The late Akunyili did not follow where the path may lead while serving her fatherland. Instead, she headed to where there was no path and left a trail at every government parastatal she ever worked in.

Her memory and works can never be forgotten. Her legacies will continue to live with us; and will outlive us.

Akinwunmi Ibrahim is a photojournalist at Vanguard Newspapers.