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Ningwie Leonard Lanyeli, a former National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) contestant who is today afflicted with bipolar disorder, is preparing to travel to South Africa for treatment, thanks to Ghanaian business tycoon Ibrahim Mahama.
Earlier, the founder of Engineers and Planners also offered to see Leonard to complete his medical programme and to support his study abroad.
Ibrahim Mahama’s aide, Rafik Mahama in a Facebook post said Leonard arrived and currently going through a procedure at a medical facility adding that Mahama has instructed the process for Leonard to go to South Africa for treatment.
He said “Arrangements have been done in South Africa for him to receive special care and treatment. Processes have started for him to be flown to South Africa.”
Leonard’s life story
Leonard attended and completed the Ganaa Memorial Junior High School, emerging as the best-performing student with an aggregate of 8.
He furthered his education at St. Francis Xavier Senior High School to pursue General Science as a course.
He earned the name ‘Dr. Ningwie Leonard Lanyeli’ from his open ambition to become a medical doctor.
With this ambition, he pushed to score 6 As in his WASSCE exams and B2, B3, and B2 in biology, English, and social studies respectively, in 2007.
Not only did his final results show his academic prospects, but his participation in the NSMQ quiz in 2007.
The 33-year-old gained admission to the University of Cape Coast to read medicine but he was thwarted because his parents could not afford the high tuition at the time.
He later gained admission at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to study as a doctor of optometry.
He told JoyNews that “I gained admission to read medicine at the University of Cape Coast at the cost of GH¢4,100 a year and my father was a teacher who couldn’t afford to pay the fees, so I opted to read optometry at KNUST.”
One of his senior schoolmates of Leonard, Emmanuel Belig, now a Pharmacist at the Wa regional Medical stores said “Back at St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary, he [Leonard] used to say there must be a ‘Dr’ attached to his name. So we called him ‘Dr’.
Leonard said during his first four years at KNUST, he performed well until he had mental health issues.
His 60-year-old mother, Ninwie Gladys said one of Leonard’s university friends took him to his home town and he returned with the condition.
She stated that “I had a hint that a friend at the university took Leo to his home town and he came back with this condition.”
Leonard said he was forced to take a break from his university studies in order to seek medical attention at the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital in 2013, adding that the doctors then diagnosed him with bipolar disorder.
“There is a certificate hanging in that empty room that shows that I still hold the record as the winner of spelling in Pantang Hospital when I took part in a quiz contest during my stay to get medical health. I tell people I am sensible and can teach a crowd,” Leonard narrated.
He indicated that he later returned to the university in 2014 after a successful rehabilitation and was performing well but his stay there was short.
Ninwie Gladys said the father of Leonard died on August 13, 2011.
A former biology tutor at St. Francis Xavier Junior Seminary, Situs Bayaa described him as intelligent and could have been one of the best Scientists or medical doctors in Ghana if he didn’t suffer the medical condition.
But Leonard said if he gets another opportunity, he would go back to school again but “I just want a simple course – community health nursing or teachers training college so that I can help my colleagues. I really know how to help.”
His family and friends believe he was born great, and if he receives immediate intervention, he’ll do great in life.
