Why are we all overlooking UI medicine dropout Terhemen Anongo?

Terhemen Anongo is a Nigerian that needs our attention now better than ever. When his story first broke out to public space in March 2021, most people read with sympathy, and afterward, moved on with their daily lives. There is no surprise about that, it is the culture in Nigeria that if a problem does not directly affect you or your immediate family member, you may not show concern or feel bothered. They just read, pass comments and move on to the next interesting topic, repeat the same cycle and life goes on.

The anecdote as of March 2021 was that Anongo, age 43 at the time, dropped out of the University of Ibadan medical school at 500 level. He was granted an interview in the media where he claimed to have gained admission to the prestigious institution in the 1996/97 session as a medical student. He soldiered on until he got to 500 level where he suffered severe depression, lost interest in his studies, and could no longer continue. He consequently dropped out of school around 2002, which was 20 years ago. He said he tried to regain admission into the University of Maiduguri and Benue State University to study psychology but was denied admission.

He also said he did not have the interest to study medicine but was forced by his father who believed that medicine is better than his preferred course, petroleum engineering. To further justify why he dropped out of the institution, he said the way the University of Ibadan is structured, the people there are not friendly, that if you don’t know something, you are not confident to say you don’t know it. All these allegations against UI, coupled with his lack of interest in studying medicine, made him call it quits.

I am sure many people will agree with me that this story does not add up, or to say the least, it doesn’t make common sense, and these allegations whether true or not are not enough to jettison a blossoming career. So why are we all overlooking Terhemen Anongo?

I know what it means to gain admission to study medicine in the university, let alone the University of Ibadan. My elder brother tried it, he wrote JAMB about three times, not because he did not make the 200 cut-off mark to gain admission, but because either his score did not qualify him to study medicine at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, or his name did not appear on the final list due to the quota system. After several tries and scoring over 200 in all the attempts, he decided to settle for Agric-Economics, and today, Emmanuel Ojoko (Ph.D.) is a lecturer and has ditched his dream of becoming a medical doctor.

Being a medical doctor is a dream of many parents and students alike. Back then, the three major career parts are doctor, lawyer, and accountant or banker. Anything you intend to pursue outside these three professions automatically paints you a picture of an unserious student in the eyes of your parents. True to it, today, we have seen that being a medical doctor is one of the biggest and most lucrative jobs in the world, irrespective of how they are treated in Nigeria. This kept me wondering why will someone in their right senses drop out of the university and department where hundreds of other students are studying and coping, all because the people there are not friendly? Are you going to the university to look for friendship or to study and finish with good grades?

In any case, studying in an unfriendly environment is also training on its own and will only prepare you for a similar eventuality when you finally kick off your career in particular and adult life in general. But I smell a rat, I think there is more to it than what we have been told. Spending five years in school and just dropping out at the peak of graduation just like that needs better and robust explanation and conviction for me to believe the story we are being told. I know there are what we call ‘village people’ in this part of the world, if you don’t know what that means, ask your neighbor. I also know there are psychological issues, and I know there is poverty. All or any of these are the possible causes of a case like that of Anongo.

While there has been no word from the management of the University of Ibadan whether Anongo truly was a student of their institution or was once admitted into the facility, many incidents have unfolded emanating from him that has called for serious and urgent attention, otherwise, his life and that of everyone around him are in danger. Most times, danger can be avoided if the situation that poses such danger is well-managed, but in most cases, we see it as no man’s business until society begins to suffer its consequences.

Lately, Terhemen Anongo has petrified many, including myself, and I am now seriously concerned about his mental health and the danger his immediate family and environment are exposed to. This is no joke, not one that a civilized society should laugh about. Another news came to the public space in January 2022 that he has removed his second testicle. That was not really the crux of the matter, the terrifying part is he did it by himself, just as he did the first testicle that resulted in him spending two weeks at the hospital to recover.

He had visited three doctors and requested them to help him with the castration, but they all refused, he then went ahead and did it himself. His reason for doing it is because he is avoiding the torment of sexual urge coupled with his religious belief. He said he is someone deeply involved in religion and has read about Origen Adamantius, one of the early church leaders from Egypt, who paid to be castrated so that he would not be bothered by sexual urge.

It is most likely he is suffering from some disorders; this is possible for a man at 44 without a wife or child and who has never been married, and does not have a reliable source of income, except proceeds from his cart pushing. Also, the thought that he has been left far behind by his mates who are now medical consultants in various hospitals home and abroad, is enough to send him into depression. That feeling of losing such a big opportunity and being unable to pick it up again can frustrate even the bravest of humans.

In 2021, Anongo said his mother had rented a shop for him and he was hoping to raise money to start a pharmacy, which is opening a pharmacy store in Gboko, Benue state. This is where my fears rapidly increased. How can a man who is not mentally stable administer the right medication to his patients? How are we sure that if someone steps in to complain about an ulcer, that person will not be given malaria drugs?

Why not? If he could perform a surgical operation on himself to remove his testicles, he may as well attempt to perform an abortion one day, putting the lives of gullible and uninformed Nigerians at risk. How can we put the health of ignorant young girls in his hands? Those that may require one dose of drugs, but could be administered with two or more. The danger is enormous.

I am not even sure he is licensed to operate as a pharmacist, or can anyone just open a store and sell drugs without a license? This is where all relevant regulatory agencies must wake up to their job. Anongo needs urgent medical psychiatry and psychological aid to help him overcome depression and psychological trauma.

Anongo’s case needs to be revisited. The circumstances that surrounded his dropout must be looked into. Was he treated unfairly? Was he constituting a danger to himself, other students, and the institution? Was due process followed? Did he truly personally drop out or was he rusticated by the University of Ibadan?

We should not overlook Anongo like everything is alright, no, it is not. The Benue state government must reach out to him, take him in and do a proper cross-examination of his mental state. Provide him medical care and a job outside the medical line where he will be busy, while the lives of the public will not be at stake. He should permanently be under the watch of the government to curtail looming danger, and on the other hand, he will be relevant to himself and the government.

Ojoko is a Nigerian journalist and can be reached via [email protected]