On November 19, Vanguard online published a story titled: “My wife, our quadruplet dead after I denied them antenatal care – Bereaved man” by Bashir Bello. It was about one Goja Zubairu, whose wife Gaje, gave birth to quadruplets; three males and a female, through a Caesarean Operation at the Malumfashi General Hospital, Kastina State.
The birth attracted communities, with the wife of the State Governor, Hajiya Amina Bello-Masiri, trooping to Gora Dansaka village, to congratulate Zubairu and his family.
But this happiness was short-lived as one of the child dies few day later.
The situation worsened when the mother of the babies, Gaje, also dies four days after the death of one of the babies.
Bashir Bello, the writer for Vanguard, stated that the mother’s death was as a result of malnutrition and her inability to get ante-natal care. He further claimed that Goja’s decision not to allow his wife register for ante-natal was as a result of the traditional practice in the area, which prevents women from taking independent decision. Both the claim that Goja DECIDED not to allow his wife go for Ante-Natal and the opinion that this was as a result of religious belief, was, unfortunately, both obvious lies.
CONTRADICTION
When Goja, a 40-year old peasant farmer was interviewed, by the same writer on the same piece, he (Goja) said none of his wives have ever done an ANC because his “family lives far-away from the hospital, so he can’t afford the cost of transportation and hospital fees.”
The Vanguard story even quoted that he gave his reason as poverty and distance, not opposition to the idea.
“His word: “Because we are in the village, nobody has ever gone for ANC in my house. Reason is that we live far-away from the hospital. At times, you will wake up with the intention of going to the hospital but you discover you don’t have money. Even going to the hospital on motorbike, the road is terrible”.
The newspaper further wrote that the village is about nine kilometers to the Malumfashi General Hospital but there is a Primary Healthcare Centre, PHC, in the area where ANC is available for pregnant women.
It revealed that one of Goja wives narrated that, when she discovered she had issues after the first delivery, she adopted the habit of going to her parents’ house where they assist her to attend ANC.
While the father of the quadruplets blamed the unfortunate incident on his financial constraints and the distance of the hospital to his home, Vanguard had diverted attention to the traditions of the people which, it claims, restrict women from seeking medical attention for their own benefits. A case of reporting an incident and giving an opinion contrary to the facts of your report.
