Nigeria’s Minister of Tourism has allegedly been poisoned and is battling for her life in Abuja.
Lola Ade-John, 60 was hospitalised in after suffering acute poisoning from unknown sources.
She is said to have been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, shortly after she started manifesting symptoms of her poisoning, according to family sources familiar with her ordeal.
According to reports, she has spent four days at the facility as of Friday morning.
Ms Ade-John, a career banker and tech investor, has been on a machine to aid her breathing.
It is not yet certain what she ingested, the location or the circumstances but her family and the medical personnel are said to be under pressure as time appears to be running
Her worsening situation has further set the family against the government, with the permanent secretary of her ministry said to be in disagreement as to whether she should continue receiving treatment at a public hospital or be moved to a better-equipped private facility downtown.
The permanent secretary, Ngozi Onwudike, was said to have insisted that the minister should not be transferred because the FMC is a public hospital and its services wouldn’t attract substantial charges to the government, a position her family rebuffed. But they remained with her as they could not raise funds to move her to a private hospital. A phone number for the permanent secretary did not connect on Friday morning.
A spokesperson for the FMC did not immediately return a request seeking comments from The Gazette about Ms Ade-John’s condition.
Ms Ade-John was appointed as a minister by President Bola Tinubu in August. She was immediately touted as one of the few cabinet members appointed from outside the political circles. She was based in London for years before she was asked to return to the country to serve by the president.