Minister of Tourism, Mrs Lola Ade-John
Confusion, as Ministry refutes ‘minister on life support’ reports, says ‘it’s just malaria’
Ministry of Tourism has refuted wide media reports claiming that the newly-inaugurated Minister of Tourism, Ms Lola Ade-John is battling for her life at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abuja after being victim of suspected poisoning.
Reliable minister sources, however, described the media reports as ‘sensational journalism’ by some media platforms.
Ministry sources who spoke exclusively to Oracle Today, Friday morning, say the minister was just having a bout of malaria and ‘decided to take a bed rest.’
The minister who was conspicuously absent during the commemoration of the 2023 World Tourism Day (WTD) in Nigeria held at the International Conference Centre Abuja, Wednesday, was earlier reported on several media platforms to be battling for her life after a suspected case of poisoning.
The state of health of the minister who was represented at the WTD event by the Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOURS), was yet known then, as it was also reported that she remains on a breathing aid.
Lola Ade-John, 60, was allegedly rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, in Abuja, shortly after she started manifesting symptoms of poisoning, according to family sources familiar with her ordeal. She was reportedly admitted to the facility last Friday morning.
Ms Ade-John, a career banker and ICT investor, has reportedly been on life support as e result of breathing complications.
“Her worsening situation has further set the family against the government, with the Permanent Secretary overseeing the ministry, Mrs Ngozi Onwudiwe 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.
“Mrs Onwudike was said to have insisted that the minister should not be transferred because the FMC is a public hospital and its services would not attract substantial charges to the government, a position her family rebuffed.
“However, Ms Lola’s family has reportedly stayed by her side at the hospital as they could not raise funds to move her to a private hospital,” sources had claimed.
Ade-John was appointed the pioneer minister of Tourism, last month, a ministry carved out by President Bola Tinubu, last month from the old Ministry of Information, Culture and National Orientation.
That ministry now has three separate ministries, including; Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Information.
