When Mrs Dora Nkem Akunyili was the Zonal Secretary (South-east) of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund in 1998, Nigerian doctors gave her what many of her family members considered to be a health scare. They said she had a growth and needed surgery. Akunyili, then 44, decided to travel to the United States, first to get a second opinion and then undergo the prescribed surgery.
The bill for the medical trip was $17,000, including $12,000 for the surgery. During pre-surgery check-up in the US, the doctors told her the Nigerian doctors had made a wrong diagnosis and that she did not need any surgery. It was said to be a minor issue that medication would solve.