Nigerian White Child: I Suspect Replacement (Chat)

Dr. Maxwell Udeh, retired Chief Medical Officer, Parklane Specialist Hospital, Enugu, as well as erstwhile Enugu state Police Doctor, reacted to the delivery of a white child by a complete black couple recently. He spoke to KlinReports.com. Photo left shows Dr. Maxwell Udeh)

There was this recent incident where a completely black couple was delivered of a white child. Could you react to it?

I read the story. The features of that child were pure white. Ok? You would think in terms of, maybe, the nurse changed the child after birth. Right? Because if it were to be a white man and a black lady, both the color of skin and the hair features would be quite different, would look like a mulatto. But the picture I saw showed exactly pure white baby. I am saying that from the picture I saw, what I saw, the photograph. And if it is all black, male and female, they should have been something fair, but not completely white. In fact, the child could be fair, but not completely white and even the hair features.

Some people suspect that the situation could have been brought about by adultery on the part of the lady. How do you look at this?

If it is adultery, it can only lead to the birth of a mulatto or mulatto like. But in this case, the child is completely white; it could not be the case of adultery.

But there are situations where completely black couples give birth to a complete white child?

In this case, you are talking about albinos. Delivery of albinos is common, and it could be due to chromosomal changes and all that.

Are you saying that it would have been that possible and easy to have replaced a supposedly black child with a white one just like that?

That is what I am suspecting. That seems to be what could happen, because it does not obtain in medicine that a complete black couple can have a pure white child.

The delivery of this white child by the black couple could still be miracle. Or don’t you believe in miracles?

Miracle? I don’t know. Well, I recognize that miracles can happen, but this particular situation, to me, is different.

To get to the root of this phenomenon, what do you suggest?

I shall suggest a DNA.

Will DNA resolve this?

Yes, DNA will resolve this, even the maternity and paternity of the child. DNA will surely resolve where the child comes from.

Soon, Nigeria will be 50 year old. What is your assessment of the country in the area of medical welfare?

We have dared better than before. You talk about the medical changes and the population. A lot of facilities are available, but I still wish the government to work harder in the provision of medical facilities so that we keep on improving. You know medicine is highly dynamic, it keeps on changing. We have a lot of medical personnel in this country, and some of them practice all over the world, including in Saudi Arabia. We should encourage our men to come over here and practice. Medicare here costly, but the government can bring it down for the well being of the people.

You retired from active service in March this year, what has it been like?

Yes, I have retired from public. In the service, there is a lot of stress. I wish government can, at least, encourage medical personnel in terms of their welfare and all that. Medical practice is like a humanitarian job. I want to advise my colleagues not to go entirely for money. It should not be money, money, money all the time. The saving of life should more important than money. But government should encourage medical practitioners, to ensure that their welfare is taken care of.
You were the police Doctor in Enugu state for a long time. What was the job like?
I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. It was quite an experience, and sometimes, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed because I faced my job with all the commitment and sincerely it deserved.

What legacy do you think you left behind in the service?

Well, I think I left a legacy of goodwill behind. I made sure I had no quarrels with anybody. I made I carried my co-workers along. I would say, I never stepped on toes.

Any regrets?

My only regret is that I ought to have compiled a compendium before leaving service. Because my job was so stressful and time-consuming, I should have compiled a compendium which would have helped medical practice.