By Sola Ogundipe

ON April 1st and 10th 2015, the Managing Director/CEO, Forric Nigeria Ltd., Sir Barrister Nwabufo Richard Obienugh, had two successful brain surgeries carried out by renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Paul Kevin King of the Atlanta Medical Centre, Atlanta. USA. During a thanksgiving service to mark the successes, Obienugh gave a run-down of how he survived the ordeal. Excerpts.

IN September 2014, when the Managing Director/CEO, Forric Nigeria Ltd., Sir Barrister Nwabufo Richard Obienugh, first noticed that he was having problems with his vision, little did he realise just how serious his condition was until a near disastrous incident revealed the true extent of his plight. Obienugh was driving around in the neighbourhood with his personal assistant one day when he ran into a group of four brothers walking down the street. Although it was broad daylight, he failed to see the pedestrians and accidentally knocked down one of them, and it even took him some moments to realize what had happened.

Obienugh

”Fortunately the young man that I had knocked down was not injured; I quickly and politely apologised for what had happened and accepted full responsibilities,” he stated.

“I explained that I had a visual problem and the oldest one, who saw my plight, appealed to the other three to please calm down as I appeared to be a gentleman. At this point I offered them money to go and take themselves out which they refused and instead advised me to take care of myself.”

That incident was the eye opener; so to speak because it compelled Obienugh to seek medical attention.

He consulted an ophthalmologist and a quick investigation revealed a bombshell.  ”He informed me that I had lost 60-65 per cent of my vision and that the problem seemed to be a progressive one.” Series of further tests and examinations confirmed his worse fears. The outlook was unnerving—gradual loss of vision of unknown origin. His sight was deteriorating, in layman’s terms, he was slowly going blind.

“He immediately booked an appointment for me in the 1st week of October 2014 for a consult at a well-known Eye hospital in New York, strongly advising me to keep the appointment.”

Urgent action was required and Obienugh wasted no time. “I therefore travelled in the 1st week of October to the USA.”

In the first week of October 2014, he sought medical attention in the US but could not be reviewed immediately because it was the height of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Nigeria.

After the mandatory 21 days, a friend took him to an ophthalmologist who referred him to another colleague from Columbia University practicing in New York.

Subsequently, following series of tests spanning October-November 2014, a diagnosis of Pituitary tumour was confirmed. Obienugh was referred to the Emory Clinic, Atlanta, Georgia State. He recalled that the estimated bill from Emory was staggering and after consulting with his wife, realized that he needed to come back to Nigeria to source for funds.

“I arrived Nigeria about a week to Christmas 2014. Not panicking, on my arrival after giving my wife the details, on my own accord I embarked on a session of prayers at 2am for 30 days. My prayer points were simple: God, my Creator, You can do one of two things according to Your plan:  heal me miraculously by speaking the Word or make a way for me by providing for and taking care of the process, if I need surgery.

“l knew that I could not afford surgery. I dutifully kept the times of prayer and the prayer points. After the prayers I noted peace in my heart, assurance from God that He would take care of me and in my church, All Saints Church GRA, Enugu, I responded to every altar vs. altar call between January and February 2015.”

A devout Christian, Obienugh went to God in prayers and got tremendous spiritual motivation from a sermon delivered in his church. It was a powerful sermon about how King Hezekiah challenged God and had his life span extended. Despite his own predicament, Obienugh who at that time had raised just less than 30 per cent of his surgery fees was still motivated to make a pledge of faith for a special offering towards the roofing of the Church even though he didn’t have the money at that time.

Shortly after this spiritual encounter, fortunes turned around for him and he received a total of $90,000 from friends and well-wishers and he went back to Emory in the US. But fate had something else in store. Not long thereafter, a doctor friend of his that hadn’t wanted him to go to Emory Clinic in the first place introduced him to a top class neurosurgeon at Atlanta Medical Centre.

“On arrival at the Emory Clinic, I did not know that God had already prepared someone to carry out the surgery. This is because my wife and son, Olisa spent 10 days in Atlanta GA., hoping that I would be admitted for surgery on acceptance of the available funds.

“That was not to be. I called my friend, Dr Sam Erinne, who practises in Atlanta GA. He turned out to be God sent, he told me ‘Obito, I asked you not to go to Emory Clinic but I allowed you to make that contact to satisfy your stubborn nature.’

“He had earlier told me that if I went to Emory Clinic that it would fail, because I would not be able to afford the bills as I am not a super star. In our telephone chat he realised that I was down in spirit. He said ‘my dear friend relax, before you go to sleep someone will call you and when he does, whatever he asks you do, do because he is the best to take care of you. I will ask him to call you.”

That was how Obienugh and Dr. Paul Kevin King met. Before long, an intense doctor-patient relationship began. One thing led to the other and King turned out to be the miracle and blessing in disguise.

Just before his first brain surgery in April 2015, Obienugh had a personal encounter with God that further strengthened his faith and resolve. “On our return to Atlanta on the 22nd of March and at the appointment with Dr Orijia on the 23rd, we were informed that I had to go for surgery and that he had informed Dr King of the situation.

“Surgery was scheduled for 30/3/2015 but during the pre-surgical investigations the nurse asked of my medications and my wife read out my medications. Chest x-rays, blood work and an electrocardiogram (ECG) were all carried out. In concluding I was asked again of my current drug history.

“This time I was strongly moved by a spirit that strangely took control of me to state that despite the fact that my wife had asked me to stop taking aspirin daily over two years ago I had continued to take the medication without her knowledge and even had taken the drug that morning.

“The nurse exclaimed ‘O my God, the date of surgery would have been your death as you would have bled to death even after a successful removal of the tumour.” The surgery was postponed to the 1st of April 2015 to allow the effect of the aspirin wear off. It lasted 7 hours, but a week later, scans showed that a second surgery was required.

Obienugh had a hard time accepting to go under the knife for the second time. The second operation was slated for 10/4/2015, and lasted for about 7 hours. “On recovery my surgeon who is now my friend assured me that the entire massive tumour had been removed and assured me that I will have a good recovery.”