Professor Adesanya-Davies Seeks Fubara’s Intervention Over SPDC/Renaissance Spousal Healthcare Benefits

Professor Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a Professor of Applied Linguistics at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, has appealed to Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to intervene in a dispute over her alleged removal from an SPDC retirement healthcare scheme.

In an open letter to the governor, Adesanya-Davies, who described herself as a citizen of Rivers State and former presidential candidate, said she had been recognised as the spouse and dependent of an SPDC employee and retiree and had accessed the relevant healthcare arrangement since about 1991.

She said the coverage continued after retirement and that she was issued a HYGEIA healthcare card.
According to her, however, she was informed on July 25, 2026, while seeking emergency medical attention at an SPDC hospital, that she had been de-registered from the medical-benefit scheme.

Adesanya-Davies said she had not received prior formal notice of the alleged de-registration, prompting her to question the rule or contractual provision under which a beneficiary recognised for approximately 35 years could be removed.

She also sought clarification on the meaning and application of the expression “spouse at retirement”, particularly whether a spouse recognised at retirement could subsequently be removed or replaced by another person.

The professor argued that any change to a beneficiary’s status should be based on clear contractual or policy provisions and subject to due process.

She urged the relevant authorities to explain the rules governing the recognition, removal and replacement of spouses under the retirement healthcare arrangement.

Adesanya-Davies also referenced the Pension Reform Act 2014, PENCOM guidelines, principles of contract and estoppel, as well as constitutional provisions on human dignity, in making her case for transparency and fairness.

She, however, acknowledged that the SPDC/Renaissance retirement and healthcare arrangements could involve private corporate and pension structures outside the direct control of the Rivers State Government.

She therefore asked Governor Fubara not to adjudicate the matter but to use his good offices to facilitate appropriate governmental intervention or refer the matter to the relevant regulatory authorities.

Her requests include a review of the circumstances surrounding her de-registration, a written explanation of the rule relied upon for her removal, clarification of the meaning of “spouse at retirement,” and an explanation of the authority for removing a previously recognised spouse.

She also requested clarification of the rules governing replacement of beneficiaries and, where legally applicable, restoration or protection of her healthcare access pending resolution of the dispute.

Describing the matter as one that goes beyond her personal grievance, the professor said it raised broader questions about whether beneficiaries who had been recognised under retirement healthcare arrangements for decades could be removed without a clear, documented and transparent basis.

Adesanya-Davies further disclosed that she had publicly referenced a potential ₦15 billion claim arising from the broader dispute.

She clarified, however, that any such claim remained subject to legal evaluation and determination by a competent forum, stressing that her immediate demand was for transparency, administrative accountability and lawful resolution.

The academic appealed to Governor Fubara to ensure that the matter was properly addressed, particularly in view of the transition involving SPDC and Renaissance.

She called for the governing rules to be clearly articulated and urged all relevant authorities to allow due process, justice, fairness and human dignity to guide the resolution of the dispute.