Prof Arthur Onwuchekwa, who recently retired as a consultant neurologist at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, tells DENNIS NAKU about his childhood and early years of medical practice
Did you grow up in a rural community or the city?
I am from Obinkita, Arochukwu in Abia State. My father was a palm produce dealer before the war. I grew up in a rural community in pristine, quiet community around the Imo River near Oyigbo in Rivers State. That was where people knew one another. Everybody assumed the duty of a mother or father. At that time, when one went astray or did anything wrong, people corrected the person or report them. If you do well, they will also recommend you and tell your parents. Children who did well at school were regarded as role models in class; everybody looked up to them at the end of the term, and even the headmaster showed interest.
The missionaries owned the schools in those days, so pupils went to church. I was a chorister as small as I was. Those were things that brought me up. Being the only son, my father wanted the best for me and because he was enlightened, he knew what education meant. When I was in primary school he arranged for me to attend private lessons with some teachers at that time. And any time I failed to go to school but went to play football people reported me to him. Of course, you know what will accompany that – whipping. I didn’t see any need for the (extra) lessons because I was already good in class, but that was the desire of a parent. My father was a Christian to the core. My parents were Anglicans.
Will you describe your childhood as quiet or adventurous?
I did so many things my parents didn’t know.
What do you mean by that?
In Imo River, there are fishing areas. At times, when people went fishing, I accompanied them. I also accompanied them to fetch firewood on a boat. Of course, being an only son, you can imagine how bothered my father would have been if he knew that I was on a boat because of the risk. I also climbed trees and play football. In retrospect, I will just say (I took) a terrible risk.
What was your aspiration or dream as a child growing up?
Well, I aspired to help mankind. I have always shown empathy to other people whenever anything happened to them. As a child, when people around me sustained an injury, I tried to get iodine, or spirit to clean it up even when I hadn’t entered secondary school. So I was always empathic, trying to help and contribute to people’s happiness. I showed interest in anything that makes people happy.
What inspired you to become a medical doctor and by extension, a neurologist?
In secondary school, I found out that I was doing well in the arts and sciences. While in secondary school the (Civil) War broke out. In fact, some of my teachers could not return to Port Harcourt after the war. They had to be moved to Umuahia (in Abia State). So after the war, I had to move to the Government College, Umuahia. It was highly competitive and I was doing well also, even in the sciences. When people were putting in for the course they wanted to study at a higher institution, I found out that the very bright pupils chose either Medicine or Engineering. I mean if you wanted to prove that you were intelligent at that time, you either choose Engineering or Medicine. So, I had to choose Medicine because that was a course I had a flair for.
I attended the University of Benin and distinguished myself and I graduated. After that, I headed for national service in Yola, Adamawa State, then Gongola State. When I received my posting, I didn’t know where Gongola State was. I boarded a bus in Onitsha (Anambra State) and arrived in Gongola the following day. That was the first thing that took me to the North. Eventually, I was deployed to the 15 Mechanised Brigade in Yola. I served there and had a good relationship with the people in the army at that time. The new teaching hospital had just been established in Maiduguri (Borno State). So, when job interviews were announced, I went there. The place looked beautiful and I saw some of my friends who also came for the interview. They promised to send us to the United Kingdom for postgraduate training. That was the attractive thing.
Did your dad support the idea of you going to Maiduguri?
My father gave me all the support, he didn’t block my way. Naturally, you would expect that as the only son, he would ask me to return or something, but he didn’t. He kept praying for me. So I was adventurous as you can see, I went there (to Maiduguri). But in 1983/84 there was a coup by soldiers led by Muhammadu Buhari through which the Shehu Shagari government was overthrown. And then, of course, the economy had taken a downturn, so they banned overseas training for doctors. When they did that, I had no other option than to face my studies. I had my residency under the tutelage of international scholars.
It was really tough because there was no organised system, but by God’s grace, I was able to pass my exams at first sitting and then had my fellowship. Immediately after that, the University of Maiduguri employed me in May 1989 as Lecturer I consultant physician.
How did your father react to that?
My father was happy that his only son had become a consultant. But later, he took ill for the first time. He used to be a very strong man. But before we knew it he just went down and died. My mother could not bear it. It shook her to the very foundation because she had lived with him for years. I found out that my mother was coming in and out of the hospital. As an only son and a responsible one for that matter, I knew that the best option was for me to go home and take care of my mother. That was what led to my relocation to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital in Rivers State. Incidentally, this happened when the University of Port Harcourt medical school had an accreditation problem and was, somehow, looking for experts. Having trained under very strong hands at that time, I was able to fit in. So, I had to come in. Due to the closeness of Imo River to Port Harcourt, I used to drive from my father’s house to work until I got accommodation in Port Harcourt. My sister used to live with her husband in Port Harcourt, so we were able to bring my mother down, and that sustained her. She lived for another 13 years.
When did you settle for neurology?
My initial choice was cardiology but I had also worked with a professor who was a well-grounded neurologist and we had the facilities at the teaching hospital. I worked under him and a British physician, so I became well-grounded in neurology and that was how my interest in neurology was developed.
You were both a lecturer and a medical doctor. Which did you find more interesting and challenging?
Both of them were interesting and challenging. In the medical field, you teach medical students and use your patients to teach. The other one is theoretical, through lectures. Teaching and practising Medicine were quite exciting.
Can you remember how you spent your first salary?
I can’t remember exactly. At that time, our take-home pay was a pittance, but one good thing was that when I joined the University of Maiduguri, I was given a car loan. So, we all bought cars. These were incentives that attracted me, which at that time were not made available to people in the South. Mind you they wanted to build their medical school, so these were the incentives they gave.
The migration of Nigerian medical professionals to other countries is a current problem in the country. What do you think is responsible?
Well, it is dynamic. If the conditions of service are more attractive abroad compared to what we have in Nigeria, of course, people will want to get better pay and better conditions of service. I think that must have accelerated it because most Nigerian doctors have this patriotic zeal to give back to society. I can tell you that. Half of my classmates are abroad. What pains them most is that they cannot return to the country that provided for them. Also, there is insecurity in Nigeria. There is so much insecurity, and even those who are here (in Nigeria) are also watching.
Doctors have emergencies, most of them move at night; most of them work late into the night and can’t get home. Another thing is infrastructure nationally. Even most of the areas they practice don’t have facilities to work.
Was brain drain common when you were a young doctor or did doctors live like kings at that time?
There was brain drain when I was a young doctor. Even when I was in medical school in the late 1970’s there was, brain drain. But the pattern was different. At that time, the movement of doctors was mainly to Saudi Arabia. Some of them relocated to Canada and the United States. But that was the trend at that time. Now, the trend has changed. The younger ones are now leaving because you find out that Nigerian doctors are good at their jobs, so there is a demand for young Nigerian doctors outside Nigeria. If you go to teaching hospitals and those places and of course consider the conditions of service here, the conditions of service are very poor. You can imagine that some states haven’t paid their doctors for months, just as they haven’t paid other workers. If other workers have the same opportunity, they will also leave.
As a young doctor, what kind of woman did you desire for a wife and did you find one?
Well, as a young doctor, I was very prayerful. I wanted to marry somebody I would blend with and someone who would also understand me because I know I am a workaholic. I needed someone who would also tolerate me because you know a doctor can leave his house and not return for hours, so if you don’t have a partner who understands you, that can create a lot of problems. I also wanted a woman who is a Christian with whom I can fellowship and bring up children in a God-fearing way. Of course, as a doctor, you want to have children who are moderately intelligent and not the type that you have to beg principals to promote at school. So, these were the things I wished for. When you wish for something and they are genuine and you pray over them, God will give them to you and I thank God that I was blessed with a good wife who is a Christian and met those requirements.
What’s her profession?
My wife is a medical doctor. She is a radiologist.
How did you meet her?
As an only son, I was advised to marry somebody who has the same socio-cultural background so that there won’t be friction. When I looked around, being in the North, it was not easy to come by such. So I kept praying. Immediately I went to Port Harcourt, God made it possible for me to come across someone who met all these requirements.
When did you retire from service?
Just two months ago.
Will you say your first day in retirement felt strange?
It wasn’t strange because I knew I was supposed to take three months’ leave before retirement. So, I already knew I was going to retire. Mentally, I was getting ready that I was going to leave the service. I didn’t feel different really. I knew it was coming. One thing is that I thank God that I retired healthy and alive.
What will you say were your regrets during your service years?
I must tell you I don’t think I have any regrets. I think, by God’s grace, I lived a fulfilled professional life. In the course of my practice, God used me to touch many lives, both high and low, I must tell you. I have not mentioned it to anyone here (in Port Harcourt); while in the North, I had the singular opportunity of also being one of those who managed the first (indigenous) governor of Northern Nigeria, (the late) Sir Kashim Ibrahim. I was doing a locum (part-time job) with a popular hospital, Borno Medical Centre. As a doctor, you have to be aggressive. They had confidence in me and had a good relationship with him (Ibrahim). Anytime the man had a need, I was told to go and see him. And the man was very humble and nice. Even while in Maiduguri, I had the same opportunity of managing people like Jim Nwobodo, who is alive.
Also, I have managed many other people, including a former chief judge and a good number of retired chief judges who were my patients. God has used me to help them. So I am glad that I have somehow given back to society, and that is one of the things that I craved and some of my colleagues regret not doing.
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