How Conjoined Twins Born By Jobless Parents Survive Million Naira Surgery (PHOTOS)

By Victor Enny EBIMOMI
LAGOS MATCH 15TH (NEWSRANGERS)-When scan result showed that Mrs. Amarachi was carrying a twin baby boys last year, her joy and that of her husband, Obinna Ugwoke knew no bound.
They were eagerly counting months waiting for the day the boys to physically unite with the family. The day eventually came on May 8, 2017. But the joy that was supposed to spontaneously envelop the day literally evaporated.
Reason: What they saw baffled them.
The babies were conjoined by the stomach. As the father sighted the new born babies, he instantly relapsed into a state of mental disequilibrium and ran away because according to him he has never seen anything like that before. As for the mother, she was just weak and tired having just come out of a rigorous Ceasarian operation. She was also somehow perplexed at the sight of the new born babies because of their conditions, but her strong faith held back her fear as she praised God, the most high for the gifts. The babies were delivered at First Covenant Hospital, FHA, Satellite Town, in Oriade Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State.

Obinna Ugokwe mind started running riot with multiple questions that won’t have answers. This is so because he is literally jobless. He was just a hustler (people who canvass buyers) at ASPAMDA in Trade Fair Complex, Badagry Expressway. The wife was also a hustling petty trader. So they were helpless. They however notified their church, Saints Michael, Raphael and Gabriel Catholic Church (Arcangel), Satellite Town about the uncommon gifts.
Two weeks later, the babies were transferred to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, for examination. It was there the impending financial palaver dawned fully on them.
Confused, they cried out. “Since May 8 that the twins were delivered, it has been a trying moment. When we were moved on the 18th of May, 2017 to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for further examination and surgery, we thought all will be well but it seems impossible because of the financial implications.
After the examination at LUTH, it became obvious that the kids had to be taken to one of the specialist hospitals in India for surgery. A whopping amount of N8million plus would be required, apart from other expenses. This huge amount sent the couple into a state of total confusion and despondency. “Where do we get that amount” they moaned.

Then the unexpected happened. Their church intervened. The parish priest, Reverend Father Vincent Ifeanyichukwu Ezezue made a clarion call in the church to the parishioners and pleaded that good spirited members should show love and mercy by extending helping hands towards the survival of the twins so that they could live a normal life and fulfill their destinies. That is it. His clarion call instantly drew out the spirit of love and humanity in the parishioners as that very day, donation started rolling in in torrents. Without much ado, the church quickly opened an account for that purpose from the money realized that very day which ran into almost a million. Pledges upon pledges came up and were fulfilled in no time. Within two weeks, the parish internally raised close to five millions Naira. The parish priest put his phone numbers and the account details in the public domain for any enquiry and assistance.

Within a month and some days, the Ugwoke family was airborne heading to India, fully armed with all the required finance and other necessities for the surgery. But before the family left, the church tried to divinely fortify the twins through the Holy Spirit; they were baptized and named James and John. The parents were also psychologically prepared for any eventuality that perhaps one of the babies might not make it back home.
After three weeks in India, the family headed home on December 10, 2017 after a very successful and amazing operation. When they got to Nigeria, they were checked into an hospital in Lekki for a follow-up, perhaps due to jet lag. On Wednesday December 13, they were discharged and the joyful couple, with their lively and bouncing babies, headed straight to where it all began—-their church; to present the babies to Reverend Father Vincent and other church members around.
It was indeed a joyful re-union. There were uncontrollable effusions of praises to the Almighty God. James and John were just the cynosure of all eyes as they did not betray any sign of operations neither was there any traces of their predicaments. They were healthy and bubbling with life. The parents were radiating with joy and fulfillment of the grace of God in their lives as well. Their joy of their arrival permeated the whole church vicinity as everyone rushed out to have a glimpse of the radiant boys. The parish, Reverend Father Ezezue, appeared to be the happiest man on earth when he saw the family as he was full of exhortations.
“This is wonderful. Glory be to God”, he said repeatedly as he pampered the babies.
In a chat with newsmen, Obinna Ugwoke narrated his agony and bewilderment on sighting the babies.
“I have never seen anything like that before, so I was confused”, he said. He however praised his church and the parish to high heavens for their intervention.
He also disclosed that contrary to the fear he and his family members had before leaving for India, the surgery was amazingly smooth.
The twins’ mother, Mrs. Amarachi Ugwoke, could not hold back her joy, though she maintained that she was not surprised that the kids survived because she had a strong belief that they were gifts from God and as such they are covered by divine grace.
“I was not afraid of anything. Immediately I saw them, I praised God because I knew that since they are gifts from Him, they will survive”, she said.
The couple, who lives in Satellite Town, is already blessed with two children, a boy and a girl, before the addition of the twins to the family.
The noble role played by the Parish priest and the parishioners have raised critical questions concerning the roles the churches ought to play in the welfare of their members. Many who commented on this matter took a swipe at some other churches, who they said were only out to milk their members rather than helping them. Why should a church leader corner everything for himself and his family? Must church members be suffering while the pastors are living in affluence? they seem to ask. They insisted that the story of Mr. Ugwoke family is a big challenge to all other churches.
“That is how a church should operate; they should take care of their members. Unfortunately there are many big churches here and there whose pastors are just out to milk the members for their own personal aggrandizements. After collecting tithes, offerings and what have you, they buy mansions for themselves, buy big jeeps, private jets, and build private schools all in their names. They cherish material acquisitions more than the lives of their members”, said Dickson Omolere.
“They are just being wicked; they are not supposed to be dignified with the appellation ‘Man of God’ because they only worship material things”, added a man who simply gave his as James.
And popular musician turned activist, Chukwuemeka Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, later released a bomb on his Instagram account a few days later (though not related to the story but in general term), saying Pentecostal pastors are ‘419’.
His words: “Their goal na complete monetization of people’s ignorance. It remains the only legally and politically accepted movement completely based on systematic fraud, deception and cheating. Fck the conmen of God, dem crooked theology is all for Naira. Na so Area Fada Talk”.

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