Like the proverbial dog that returns safely from the den of a lion, popular cleric, Ayo Oritsejafor, has survived aggressive cancer. His survival story will remind some of a few other prominent Nigerians who have been lucky to beat the dreadful disease, even as many have not been too fortunate in the battle. Among the big survivors are Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; and a former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okono-Iweala.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Those who could not make it include a former NAFDAC DG, Professor Dora Akunyili; and the a former Managing Director of GTBank, Mr Tayo Aderinokun.
The lucky Oritsejafor, who is a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, told his story in a video that went viral on Tuesday, stressing that his faith played a crucial role in his recovery.
He said, “How do you face cancer and still stand like this?
“What I have not told you is when I was going to America, full of cancer, you did not know. I did not tell you. I looked normal because that is my way of life.”
Speaking further, Oritsejafor said on the day he was travelling to America for medical treatment, suffering from the debilitating illness, another close acquaintance of his was also travelling to the UK for treatment of the same type of cancer.
Describing the cancer as aggressive, he recalled that while he boarded the plane to return to Nigeria after his treatment, his acquaintance, who had battled the same illness, was brought back to Nigeria in a casket.
According to the World Health Organisation, cancer is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, go beyond their usual boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs.
Oritsejafor urged his congregation not to clap or celebrate his survival, as he acknowledged the sorrow of his acquaintance’s passing.
He said, “Please don’t clap because I am not better than him. But God remembered me. He remembered my heart. I have always had a heart for God. I told God, if you save me from this, I will double my service. I will serve you twice more. And he saved me and brought me home.”
