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This is really heart breaking; entertainers are dying. While giving so much joy to people, we seem to forget about ourselves — caring for and loving our health. The end result is ill-health and death. Some things are beyond our control. But a conscious attempt at maintaining good health is in our hands.
This is why entertainers must change their attitude. Most ignore their health, subject the body to unhealthy lifestyle and then beg for money for treatment — usually when it’s too late.
We are too valuable and pivotal in the society to be degrading ourselves with the constant need to seek charity. We must put ourselves first and save for the raining day when times are good. The inroads drugs, smoking and drinking have made into Nigeria’s entertainment space are destroying lives. They also destroy marriages and relationships. Overindulgence is an all round bomb.
As a veteran of the industry, it is painful on a personal level whenever my contemporaries die or are sick. This is especially so when it is obvious the ailment could have been avoided or, in most cases, better managed if resources were available.
What I have done
I did not just sit and moan. Two years ago, I came up with a health insurance scheme that was affordable and really works. Under MOCSOS (Mabel Oboh Centre for Save our Stars), an NGO for entertainers that I established, I sponsored up to 50 entertainers’ health insurance policies for one year, and some with their families.
Believe it or not, after the year ended none of them was interested in paying for the renewal of their health insurance, which was very beneficial to them. Some of the policy holders were even admitted in the hospital for one ailment or the other without paying out of their pockets.
I know what I had to go through to negotiate such a good deal. Interestingly, the non-entertainers that took out the insurance were eager to renew theirs.
We all know that our health system in Nigeria is a joke. But, believe me, prevention is better than cure. We can, at least, help save ourselves if the government is not doing it. The whole idea is if we have unlimited access to medical care, the chances of dying unnecessarily will be limited. We can actually have regular checkups as needed. If for nothing, but for peace of mind. The earlier a disease is diagnosed, the better are the chances of survival.
I’m so angry I’m truly asking why entertainers are doing this to themselves. I know that we will all pass on someday. But not this way.
There are a lot of health insurance companies out there with various packages. Most entertainers would rather spend money on reckless lifestyle than take good care of themselves.
Way out
I’m appealing to the various entertainment bodies to come together and create a massive awareness programme to educate members. The government does have a huge role to play here also. But like every other situation we have found ourselves in this country, we are not to expect anything from our rulers. They have failed us, period! To talk about the pathetic situation in this country is a story for another day.
As we are entering a New Year, I plead with our joy givers to make their New Year resolution to be “My health first”. I am also using this medium to wish us all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year.
Oboh is second female independent movie producer; produced NTA telemovie, “The BoBos”, in the early 80s; the great producer, Zeb Ejiro, went through her tutorage; a contemporary of the likes of Sam Loco, Enebeli Elebuwa, Sadiq Daba etc; first lady to create a chat show (“Chat with Mabel”) on NTA Network in the early 2000; she worked as NTA governor’s office correspondent; new caster in NTA Channel 7; produced the first Mr Biggs eatery commercial; went into politics, contested 2020 Edo governorship, and now a PDP stalwart; she wrote in from Lagos.
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