A professor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Ms. Ngozi Uzodike, has given birth to septuplets (seven babies), two boys and five girls. Although, one of the girls did not survive.
Ngozi, who works in the Department of Business Administration, delivered the babies at Obijackson Hospital for Women and Children, Okija, on Sunday.
The hospital charged the family N19 million.
They were tears of joy and sadness for her, as she regretted that her salaries had not been paid since she started working at the institution in December 2020.
Her husband, Mr. Celestine Uzodike, confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that his wife was duly hired as a teacher at the institution, but sadly she had not been paid since.
He regretted that his wife had never earned a kobo as a salary, even after being promoted from Assistant Professor to Professor II.
He, however, appealed to the Federal Government to pay the new mother’s two years of back wages, and also come to her aid.
He said they are unable to pay the hospital bill and care for the two surviving boys and four girls alone.
He said: “The babies were born prematurely in the 26 week gestation period and the hospital said they will need to be placed in the intensive care unit and each cost N3 million. One of them has died, there are six babies left, that’s why they billed us like that.”
The mother, who was too weak to speak after the delivery, said: “All I want is for philanthropists both in Anambra State and Nigeria in general to come to our aid to offset the hospital bill.”
