By Bose Adelaja

When 39-year-old Anthony Offor walked into Vanguard premises recently, it was almost difficult to know that he was suffering from hearing impairment. His neat appearance and dignified carriage initially did not give the impression that he had come to solicit for assistance. But after a question-and-written- response interview with Vanguard Metro, his mission became clear enough.

The fact is Anthony is passionately seeking financial help from Nigerians to enable him undergo operation to correct his hearing challenge. The operation will cost N2 million.

*Anthony Offor...needs help urgently to hear again

And he came armed with a letter of identification for private hearing and speech consult dated July 14, 2011 and addressed to The Editor of Vanguard titled, “Re: Treatment of Mr. Anthony W. Offor”. It was signed by a clinical audiologist, Dr. Simeon Afolabi.

He also came with a letter soliciting for financial assistance which reads thus:   ‘’I am Citizen Anthony Williams Offor, 39 years, and a Nigerian of Anambra State Origin. I attended Community Primary School, Nzam Town, in Anambra West LGA(19761981); Boys High School, Otuocha (1982-1984), Dennis Memorial Grammar School (D.M.G.S), Onitsha(1985-1991); Pens’ Academy, Onitsha where I took JAMB in 1992/93. I later got admission to study Political Science at the University of Lagos in 1994.

“My problem started in 1999 while I was already in my final year in the University. I was on the campus one day when I suddenly started feeling feverish. I took it as one of those routine illnesses which would soon subside, but when the condition intensified, I contacted one of my course-mates and we headed to the nearby UNILAG Medical Centre.

At the Centre, the medical personnel, after the normal examination, advised us to go to a private hospital for more effective attention, saying that there were no enough drugs to treat a sickness of that nature, that mine was rather too serious to be treated with levity.

We heeded her and immediately headed to a nearby hospital called Egbuna-Adazia Hospital at Mushalashi, Surulere”.

However, while on our way to the Hospital, I noticed that any time my friend spoke to me, his voice always sounded distant as if someone is speaking from behind a wall. And when we got to the hospital, the voices of the doctors and nurses there sounded unusually guttural, an indication that I was having difficulty in hearing.

I was subsequently put on drips after some injections and moments later, I slept off. By the time I woke up the following day, my hearing problem had developed into a complete hearing loss. This time, you could only communicate to me either by gesticulation or by writing or also by studying the lips.

“My dad dismissed it, saying that it could be the after-effect of my illness that as soon as I got fully recovered, my ears would re-open on its own, but he was wrong.

About a week later, I got fully recovered but my deafness refused to go. The hospital then wrote a referral for us, referring me to another hospital because they didn’t have a specialist in that area.

Examination of ears

The hospital they referred me to is called ORL, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, at Oduduwa Close, Ikate Surulere. Here, the doctor, one Dr. Kunle Okupe, after examining my ears with modern scanning machines, told my dad that there was really nothing too unusual about my situation, saying that some high fever, could indeed cause deafness, depending on the condition of one’s eardrums.

“He said that I needed a hearing device called Cochlea Implant. He also showed us the device in picture but said he didn’t have it at the moment and asked my dad to go and source for the money, that it would be ready within two weeks.

He put the cost then at a little above one million naira. My dad, a beer distributor, promised to source the money on time and we left. About three weeks later, my father lost his life in an auto crash. This tragedy put paid to my hearing remedy.

My elder brothers, and other relations in a bid to give him a befitting buriat swooped on all his life savings, squandered everything. Though, terribly devastated by the two tragedies, I still mustered enough courage and returned to UNILAG.

It was not easy though, because I could no longer fit into the system at the UNILAG then, since I could no longer hear the lectures. But I was still able to sit for my last paper because I was already in my final year with just one paper left.

Also, I was able to cope because I was already familiar with those documents. I eventually sat for my last paper and graduated along with my set, with a Second Class Upper Division.

“Since then, I have been made to go through the excruciating and heart-breaking discrimination and stigmatization persons with hearing handicap are made to go through in our society.

The situation is such that an average Nigerian seems to have this natural feeling that when one loses his or her hearing ability, he or she has also lost intelligence, wisdom or even understanding.

It is almost impossible to see any government establishment, ministries or parastatals that is willing to absorb someone with a hearing impairment. When I wanted to join the Nigerian Customs Service as a graduate recruit in 2005, I was disqualified on grounds of my hearing loss. It is instructive to state that my hearing loss never affected my speech in any form.

“Late last year, some of my former course mates learnt of my situation and decided to intervene. They got me registered at the Military Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos. Here, after the necessary examinations, the doctors again said the same thing: I require a hearing implant called Cochlea Implant.

They said I needed to undergo the surgery and implant. But this time, the price has gone up. It is above N2 million. So, when we got to the Military Hospital they discovered that the bill was too much; it was hopeless situation and we decided to go public. They tagged this public appeal the ‘Save Tony Appeal Fund’.

“The Military Hospital later in January this year transferred me to a private Clinic at Ikeja for this surgery. The Clinic is called: B.S.A. Hearing and Speech Centre at Owodunni Street, Ikeja.”

I’ve undergone the necessary therapies in this second hospital preparatory for the surgery but the issue is the bill required which I cannot afford at all. I work as a Clearing Agent at the Lagos Ports, mainly marking out containers for a fee and cannot afford this amount at all.

What is required for this remedy is N2 million. You can donate any amount you feel comfortable with. “I call on fellow Nigerians to kindly come to my aid. It will be a tragedy if Nigerians allow all the talents in me go untapped simply because of a hearing loss that easily has a remedy here in Nigeria and not abroad”.

An account has been opened in Tony’s name for this purpose. He can be reached via a text message on phone: 07038327168.