Billionaire
businessman, Femi Otedola, has undertaken to take care of the medical bills of
veteran actor, Sadiq Daba.
Otedola
disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday.
Daba travelled
to the United Kingdom in 2017 for the treatment of leukaemia and prostate
cancer.
He returned to
Nigeria a few weeks after with reports that his situation was not as bad as
feared.
Two years
after, the October 1 star was recently admitted at the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital for what those close to him said was chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease.
“I heard about
Mr. Sadiq Daba’s health condition when it was brought to my attention through
an online news story I read two days ago,” Otedola said in his statement.
“I was
saddened to hear that he had taken ill again after overcoming his challenges
from prostate cancer just two years ago.
“From the news
report, I gathered that he was rushed to the Emergency unit of LUTH after being
diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“I must say
that even though I don’t know Mr. Daba personally, he is a face I am familiar
with through the old TV drama production ‘rooster Crow at Dawn’ which I used to
watch while growing up.
“I was moved
by a sense of nostalgia and concern when I read of his medical situation
recently and decided to take over his medical bills. He has been visited and
arrangements are being made to support him.
“In other
climes, the likes of Sadiq Daba and other such actors who more or less paved
the way for the entertainment industry and the Nollywood industry in Nigeria
(which is touted as the 3rd largest movie industry in the world) would be
celebrated as Icons and due recognition would be accorded to them.
“For me,
taking care of Sadiq’s medical expenses is my little way of showing
appreciation and gratitude for the good memories he created for me and others
in the past.”
Otedola had in
April accepted to foot the medical bills of former Super Eagles’ coach,
Christian Chukwu, who was reportedly diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Chukwu
returned to the country two Fridays ago after his treatment in the UK which
reportedly cost Otedola N36,635,000, source revealed.
A similar
gesture was extended to Tinsel actor, Victor Olaotan, in 2018.
Olaotan became
bedridden from an accident he had on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway in 2016.