Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he once experienced a 25 percent hearing loss without realizing it.
He made this statement on Sunday in Bauchi while paying a visit to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman-Adamu.
Obasanjo noted that many people are unaware of their hearing impairment until they undergo medical evaluations.
“Many people in the world are deaf without knowing it until they go for medical checks on their hearing capacity before it would be revealed to them,” he said.
He recalled an incident when he was abroad and struggled to hear someone clearly. Despite insisting that his ears were fine, the person requested permission to examine them. The clinical analysis revealed that Obasanjo had a 25 percent hearing impairment.
“After my result came out, I had to ask the man to also check on my Chief Security Officer then, but shockingly enough, he was more deaf than I was,” Obasanjo added.
This experience, according to him, led to the creation of the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation. The foundation, in partnership with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, has since provided ear treatments and hearing aids to thousands of Nigerians.
The former president announced that he would launch the distribution of hearing aids targeting approximately 10,000 indigent people in the North-East region, beginning with Bauchi State, where 2,000 people would benefit.
The initiative, named ‘Sound Intervention Mission so Nigerians May Hear,’ will be carried out under the Obasanjo Foundation.
Obasanjo also emphasized the need for collective efforts to address the security challenges facing Nigeria.
In response, Emir Suleiman-Adamu expressed that Obasanjo’s presence in Bauchi reflects his deep commitment to the development and progress of all regions in Nigeria.
Obasanjo was welcomed by Governor Bala Mohammed, former Governor Adamu Mu’azu, Senator Abdul Ningi, and other high-ranking government officials.
