Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has laid the foundation stone for the first-ever General Hospital in Ukwa East Local Government Area, with an assurance to strengthen access to secondary healthcare services in the oil-producing area of the State.
The landmark project, sited at Ohanku in Ndoki clan, is the first secondary healthcare facility to be established in the council area and is expected to bridge longstanding gaps in access to quality medical services for residents.
When completed, the Ohanku General Hospital would serve not only Ukwa East but also adjoining communities and reduce the burden of long-distance travel for medical care as well as enhance emergency response within the area.
Performing the groundbreaking ceremony, the Governor said the project is a fulfilment of his administration’s commitment to making qualitative healthcare delivery accessible to every part of the State.
He noted that the establishment of the hospital aligns with his vision of building a responsive and inclusive health system capable of meeting the needs of rural and underserved communities.
Governor Otti commended the traditional ruler of the community, Apostle Chibuzo Chinyere, for the donation of land for the hospital project, noting that the gesture would advance healthcare in the area.
The Governor further assured him that his requests for additional government interventions had been duly noted and would receive appropriate consideration.
The Governor also acknowledged the requests presented by the Former member representing Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency, Hon. Chris Nkwonta, on the possibility of developing a free trade zone, reviving abandoned assets and investing in agro-processing, particularly palm oil production, describing them as legitimate and already under consideration.
He disclosed that upon assumption of office in 2023, his administration initiated discussions with Chinese partners on the possibility of establishing a seaport in the State but encountered technical realities concerning the distance to the high sea.
“The request made by Honorable Chris Nkwanta are also in order. Interestingly, we are already working on an Abia Palm and in no distant future you will see it.
“Of course, the 19.5 nautical miles into the high sea is correct. By the time I came in in 2023, I had started working with the Chinese to set up a seaport in Abia only to find out that it’s a distant 19.5 nautical miles may not be so much. But you know you need to do the total dredging.
“But we are still on it. We won’t give up. Even if we don’t achieve it today, we’ll achieve it tomorrow. The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step”, the Governor noted.
Governor Otti revealed that work had commenced on the scoping of the Ohanko Road Aba, leading into the Ohanku community in Ukwa East and explained that the rehabilitation of Ohanku and Port Harcourt Road required extensive foundational work due to poor soil conditions.
Governor assured the community that their requests would be prioritised appropriately.“So the things you mentioned, I agree. We have to look at it and find how to prioritize it in the face of very limited resources”, he said.
Also, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, reaffirmed that Governor Otti places healthcare at the forefront of his administration’s development agenda.
He explained that it is in line with Governor Otti’s commitment to delivering affordable, accessible and quality healthcare services that the government resolved to establish a fully functional, world-class General Hospital to serve the people of Ukwa East Local Government Area.
In his speech, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, while appreciating the Governor for extending critical infrastructure to the area, described it as life-saving adding that that the project signifies a turning point for the communities in Ukwa East.
Prince Kanu noted that the hospital would “reduce maternal and infant mortality, strengthen primary and secondary health care delivery, and reaffirm the value your government places on human life”.
“This hospital will not merely be a structure, it will be a centre of development, a hub of employment for our people, and a catalyst for socio-economic growth”, the Commissioner added.
Also, the member representing Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency, Hon. Chris Nkwonta, described the event as unprecedented since the return to democracy in 1999, and noted that the landmark project would leave the Governor’s name in the annals of history.
“Since the commencement of this democracy in 1999, this is the first time we have seen a Governor come to Ukwa East to flag off such a gigantic, enormous, people-orientated project”,
The lawmaker also highlighted the economic potential of Ukwa East, citing its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the possibility of developing a Free Trade Zone, and urged the Governor to consider reviving abandoned assets and investing in agro-processing in the area, particularly palm oil production.
He also drew attention of the Governor to the intractable border issues between communities in Ukwa and neighbouring Akwa Ibom and called for proactive intervention.
In his remarks, the traditional ruler of Ikwu Orie Autonomous Community, Eze Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere described the hospital project as divine intervention and a direct response to years of neglect.
Eze Apostle Chinyere noted that the entire community previously had “no single hospital” adding that the project represents the “rescue of life”, and not just infrastructure development.
He said that the hospital would generate socio economic development with chemist shops, restaurants, hotels and other businesses springing up around the facility.
“You have turned Abia State to a huge construction site. It’s either you are flagging off a project or you are commissioning a project every day. It has never happened in Abia State before”, Eze Apostle Chinyere declared.
He also appealed for additional interventions, including electricity metering and transformers to sustain newly installed power in the community as well as the extension of Smart Schools to the area and accelerated work on the Ohanku Road to enhance access to the hospital.
