Thursday, February 5, 2026 - Reno Omokri has berated Nigerians who demand top tier medical attention but fail to pay their taxes or register in the National Healthcare scheme.
In a post shared on his Instagram page, Omokri wrote;
‘’Healthcare:
Nigerians Happen to Nigeria More Than Nigeria Happens to Nigerians!
Recently, there has been a lot of condemnation of innocent
Nigerian hospitals and healthcare centres because of the sad case of Ifunanya
Nwangene, who died from complications arising from a snake bite, after
hospitals either would not or could not treat her.
May her soul rest in peace. Ifunanya was a rising star who
did not deserve to die the way she did. My condolences to her family. Nigeria
suffered a huge loss!
Before her, there was a similar outcry after the passing of
an Arise TV news anchor, reporter, and producer, Somtochukwu Christelle
Maduagwu, whose death was initially blamed on medical personnel before
subsequent facts exonerated them.
These incidents will keep occurring, and we will continue
complaining, while nothing will change unless we change as a people and a
society.
What do I mean?
As a people, we tend to emote over things like this, rather
than reason them out, learn needed lessons and make societal changes to prevent
reoccurrences.
The primary purpose of setting up a private medical
establishment is to save human lives, promote societal well-being, and make
money in the process.
All three components must be in place before you can have a
functioning healthcare system.
One thing Nigerians have to understand is that healthcare is
not charity, and hospitals are not non-profit organisations. If you have a
medical emergency and you do not have health insurance or funds to pay out of
pocket, and cannot provide a financial guarantor, it will be risky for any
private hospital to treat you.
If they treat you without first collecting payment or a
financial guarantee, you, as a Nigerian, will NEVER pay them. Come on, admit
it. Am I lying?
As soon as you get well, you will disappear!
If you don't disappear because the hospital physically
restrains you, you will emotionally blackmail them on social media and sites
like Saharareporters, as "wicked people". And the Nigerian public
will support you. The police will get involved, and the hospital will incur
legal costs and suffer reputational damage.
So, if you want access to emergency healthcare in Nigeria,
get medical insurance from the National Health Insurance Authority. If you
don't want health insurance from a public insurer, get private medical
insurance, which is readily available in Nigeria.
But don't go to private hospitals without health insurance,
money, or a financial guarantee, and then claim that Nigeria happened to you
when they refuse to treat you or they hesitate to invest lifesaving but
expensive medicines and procedures on you.
The truth is that in that circumstance, it was you who
happened to Nigeria, because you want everything without contributing anything!
I know that you watch American and European movies and see
how citizens there access Accident and Emergency wards. But what Hollywood does
not show you is the 38% tax that they pay on their incomes.
And if you are not a taxpayer, they will still treat you
because they have your Social Security or National Insurance number. But after
treating you, they will send you a bill, which, if you don't pay, they will sue
you in court, seize all your assets, and if there are still outstanding, they
will garnish your income, meaning that any money you make and which enters your
bank account will be seized.
If you are a foreigner, your name will be sent to their
foreign office or state department, and you will never get another visa to
their country until you pay what you owe. Even if you pay, you may likely still
be red flagged!
And, as a last resort, you can be prosecuted, sentenced, and
imprisoned. Oh yes!
Do you pay tax? Yet you want world-class healthcare. Who will
pay for it? Government? From where?
Oh! I hear you say Nigeria is oil-rich? Who told you that
lie? Get out your calculator and divide our $36 billion in annual oil and gas
income by our 230 million population, which grows by about 5 million or more
each year.
Qatar, with 2.8 million people and $70 billion in annual oil
and gas income, is rich. Nigeria is not oil-rich. We are oil-poor! And without
taxes, our poverty will only increase!
So, if you love yourself, get health insurance, or put
something readinshr aside. If you have an iPhone, hang out in clubs and punted.
and bone-straight hair, but do not have medical insurance or an emergency
fund, you are probably not the most responsible person.
Reno Omokri
Gospeller. Deep Thinker. #TableShaker. #1 Bestselling
author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years.
Hodophile. Hollywood Magazine Humanitarian of the Year, 2019. Business Insider
Influencer of the Year 2022. 21st Most Talked About Person in Africa, 2024.''
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