How the President's Wife Died
This Day
AllAfrica.com
___________
Lagos (Nigeria):
President Olusegun Oba-sanjo, in the early hours of yesterday lost his wife and Nigeria's First Lady, Stella.Stella, who would have been 60 next month, died in Spain after undergoing surgery.
Although Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media Matters, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, while breaking the news at a press conference, did not disclose the nature of the surgery, THISDAY gathered that the First Lady died of complications arising from cosmetic surgery to reduce fat from her body.
Addressing State House Correspondents at about 9.30am yesterday Oyo said, "President Olusegun Obasanjo announces with deepest sorrow, the death, in the early hours this morning (yesterday), of his beloved wife and First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief (Mrs.) Stella Obasanjo."Mrs. Obasanjo died in Spain after undergoing surgery.
She would have been 60 years old next month".Oyo, while holding back tears, and saying that the First Lady's death gives her "deep sorrow", added that "condolence registers have been opened at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, State House, Marina, Lagos and President Obasanjo's home in Abeokuta".When asked what kind of surgery Stella underwent in Spain, she said that "I cannot say".Stella, THISDAY checks revealed, flew into Spain on Thursday from Paris and breathed her last at about 4 am yesterday at Marbella Hospital in Malaga, Spain.Sources told THISDAY that as a result of complications resulting from the surgery the First Lady had a "massive asthma attack and fell into a coma" from which she did not recover.Two Spanish newspapers El-Pais.es and L'a Nacion Domingo said she had the surgery at Molding Clinic, near Banus Port before she was transferred to Legal Medicine Institute of Malaya, following post-surgery complications. While the two papers said she died at the Institute, a Spanish Radio Unionradio.net reported that Stella's remains was moved from Molding Clinic to USP Hospital of Marbella (Old Europe Clinic) after her death.The radio reported that medical personnel at USP Hospital tried resuscitation maneuvers but were not successful "given her advanced state of shock."
The radio said an initial autopsy called 'pre-survey' of the corpse has been conducted and samples taken to the Legal Medicine Institute for final autopsy today.In a telephone interview with THISDAY yesterday, the Nigerian ambassador to Spain, Dr. Kingsley Ebenyi, gave graphic details of Stella's last moment.According to him, Stella came into Paris Thursday in her usual vivacity, betraying no sign of illness. She was actually billed to represent the President at the 40th anniversary of Cardinal Francis Arinze's ordination in the Vatican City on Saturday.But the first lady later told the ambassador that she would like to do a medical check up and that she had already made an appointment with the doctor.Soon afterwards, both Ebenyi and Stella drove to the hospital in the same car.
On Friday morning she was taken to the theatre.The first lady was said to have been hale and hearty after the operation and she spoke with Ebenyi later that Friday. Stella was said to have given the envoy go ahead to arrange for her hotel accommodation in Rome where she was being expected the next day.Her condition, however, began to deteriorate that Saturday which necessitated that she remained in the hospital. The hospital later called to inform the ambassador that her condition was getting worse.
At 3am yesterday, the ambassador had woken the President up with a telephone call to inform him that his wife's condition was deteriorating. Obasanjo who was said to have taken the news calmly then asked the ambassador to get details of what was wrong with her and brief him on the development later yesterday morning.About one hour later, news came from the hospital that Stella had passed on.Asked how he broke the sad news to the president, Ebenyi said he could not tell him directly."I called him (President Obasanjo) at 3am today (yesterday) to inform him that the first lady's condition was getting worse.
I woke him up from sleep and he said 'ok' and that whatever the situation is I should let him know. This morning I was informed by the hospital that she had died. But I couldn't call the president to break the sad news to him.
Instead I called the ADC and told him so it was the ADC that told the president. I did not know how to break such news to him."He (Obasanjo) later called me to ask for the details of what happened to her and what really went wrong."The president was said to have requested that the remains be brought back yesterday but that could not be done as the autopsy could not be performed yesterday being Sunday.Obasanjo was said to have spoken to the Spanish King urging that the autopsy be done as fast as possible so the body could be flown home today.
The Spanish authorities were said to have assured the president that they would do everything possible to ensure that the body is brought back to the country today or tomorrow.
Oct 24, 2005
This Day
AllAfrica.com
___________
Lagos (Nigeria):
President Olusegun Oba-sanjo, in the early hours of yesterday lost his wife and Nigeria's First Lady, Stella.Stella, who would have been 60 next month, died in Spain after undergoing surgery.
Although Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media Matters, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, while breaking the news at a press conference, did not disclose the nature of the surgery, THISDAY gathered that the First Lady died of complications arising from cosmetic surgery to reduce fat from her body.
Addressing State House Correspondents at about 9.30am yesterday Oyo said, "President Olusegun Obasanjo announces with deepest sorrow, the death, in the early hours this morning (yesterday), of his beloved wife and First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief (Mrs.) Stella Obasanjo."Mrs. Obasanjo died in Spain after undergoing surgery.
She would have been 60 years old next month".Oyo, while holding back tears, and saying that the First Lady's death gives her "deep sorrow", added that "condolence registers have been opened at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, State House, Marina, Lagos and President Obasanjo's home in Abeokuta".When asked what kind of surgery Stella underwent in Spain, she said that "I cannot say".Stella, THISDAY checks revealed, flew into Spain on Thursday from Paris and breathed her last at about 4 am yesterday at Marbella Hospital in Malaga, Spain.Sources told THISDAY that as a result of complications resulting from the surgery the First Lady had a "massive asthma attack and fell into a coma" from which she did not recover.Two Spanish newspapers El-Pais.es and L'a Nacion Domingo said she had the surgery at Molding Clinic, near Banus Port before she was transferred to Legal Medicine Institute of Malaya, following post-surgery complications. While the two papers said she died at the Institute, a Spanish Radio Unionradio.net reported that Stella's remains was moved from Molding Clinic to USP Hospital of Marbella (Old Europe Clinic) after her death.The radio reported that medical personnel at USP Hospital tried resuscitation maneuvers but were not successful "given her advanced state of shock."
The radio said an initial autopsy called 'pre-survey' of the corpse has been conducted and samples taken to the Legal Medicine Institute for final autopsy today.In a telephone interview with THISDAY yesterday, the Nigerian ambassador to Spain, Dr. Kingsley Ebenyi, gave graphic details of Stella's last moment.According to him, Stella came into Paris Thursday in her usual vivacity, betraying no sign of illness. She was actually billed to represent the President at the 40th anniversary of Cardinal Francis Arinze's ordination in the Vatican City on Saturday.But the first lady later told the ambassador that she would like to do a medical check up and that she had already made an appointment with the doctor.Soon afterwards, both Ebenyi and Stella drove to the hospital in the same car.
On Friday morning she was taken to the theatre.The first lady was said to have been hale and hearty after the operation and she spoke with Ebenyi later that Friday. Stella was said to have given the envoy go ahead to arrange for her hotel accommodation in Rome where she was being expected the next day.Her condition, however, began to deteriorate that Saturday which necessitated that she remained in the hospital. The hospital later called to inform the ambassador that her condition was getting worse.
At 3am yesterday, the ambassador had woken the President up with a telephone call to inform him that his wife's condition was deteriorating. Obasanjo who was said to have taken the news calmly then asked the ambassador to get details of what was wrong with her and brief him on the development later yesterday morning.About one hour later, news came from the hospital that Stella had passed on.Asked how he broke the sad news to the president, Ebenyi said he could not tell him directly."I called him (President Obasanjo) at 3am today (yesterday) to inform him that the first lady's condition was getting worse.
I woke him up from sleep and he said 'ok' and that whatever the situation is I should let him know. This morning I was informed by the hospital that she had died. But I couldn't call the president to break the sad news to him.
Instead I called the ADC and told him so it was the ADC that told the president. I did not know how to break such news to him."He (Obasanjo) later called me to ask for the details of what happened to her and what really went wrong."The president was said to have requested that the remains be brought back yesterday but that could not be done as the autopsy could not be performed yesterday being Sunday.Obasanjo was said to have spoken to the Spanish King urging that the autopsy be done as fast as possible so the body could be flown home today.
The Spanish authorities were said to have assured the president that they would do everything possible to ensure that the body is brought back to the country today or tomorrow.
Oct 24, 2005
