By our Correspondent
Renowned Political Economist and Professor, Prof. Pat Utomi, has recounted how he was declared clinically dead 35 years ago, only to be revived moments later in a dramatic episode he now describes as a miracle.
In a message posted on his social media handle today, Utomi said doctors at Boromeo Hospital in Onitsha had informed the Chief of Surgery that “they had lost me.”
“No pulse. No breathing,” Utomi recalled.
According to him, the medical team had prepared to close the case, but the surgeon on duty refused to give up. Determined to “fulfill all righteousness,” the doctor insisted on continuing resuscitation efforts.
“Then, against all expectations, they found me alive and proceeded with surgery to stop the internal bleeding caused by an accident near Asaba the night before,” Utomi said.
The accident, he explained, occurred while he was traveling. It claimed the life of his driver. Utomi sustained internal injuries that left him unconscious and without vital signs by the time he was rushed to Boromeo Hospital.
For the family, the memory of that night has shaped the month of July ever since.
“July will always be a month of non-stop thanksgiving in my family,” he said, noting that relatives and friends gather each year to remember God’s intervention.
Utomi, a professor of political economy and founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership, said the experience taught him early lessons about resilience, faith, and the value of human life. He added that the surgeon’s refusal to accept defeat remains a defining example of commitment to duty for him.
Decades later, he faced another brush with death. Utomi recalled being in London during the 7/7 terrorist attacks on the city’s transport system in 2005, when coordinated bombings targeted buses and underground trains, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds.
“Looking back at it all, one thing is certain: if God is with you, you have everything,” he said.
The professor, who has been active in public policy debates and nation-building conversations in Nigeria, said both incidents deepened his conviction about purpose and service.
“Gratitude to my Maker,” Utomi concluded, saying he shares the story not for sympathy, but to encourage people facing difficult moments to hold on to hope and to the people willing to fight for them.
The account has drawn reactions across social platforms, with many Nigerians describing it as a powerful testimony of survival and faith.
