The erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, has explained why he wants his international passport released to him so that he can travel abroad for medical treatment.
Metuh’s international passport was surrendered to the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court in Abuja as part of the bail conditions in his trial on seven count charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Addressing journalists on Monday outside a court room in Abuja, Mr. Metuh, whose trial has twice suffered postponement due to his ill-health, said the decision to seek foreign medical treatment was based on medical advice that he should undergo a spinal cord surgery at a good hospital.
The former PDP spokesman recalled that his health took a dip recently when he collapsed and fell off his chair during a meeting of his party in Abuja.
“When I fell from the chair, I had a spinal compression and it aggravated the problem”, he said.
Mr. Metuh noted that the condition of his health forced him to abandon his chosen career (politics), even in the midst of major events within the PDP.
“I have abandoned my chosen career, even the last convention I did not take part, because of my health. It is a serious issue”, he said.
Baring his fears on the spinal cord surgery, the PDP chieftain said: “To be honest, I am really scared of a spinal cord operation. It can lead to paralysis; it can cause many things”.
When asked to comment on allegation by the prosecution that his ill-health was stage-managed, Mr. Metuh said, “I do not wish any one ill-health”.
“I had a medical report, in that report, the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) has a full indentation, so there is nothing that is being stage managed”, he said. “The reports are there as evidence before the court. When the prosecution is in that position then it can tell”.
However, Metuh was full of confidence in the efforts of his counsel, Emeka Etiaba, to acquaint the court with details of his health, saying he believed that the trial judge, Okon Abang, would consider the facts before him and grant his request.
