Driven by a passion to uplift the health care of his people, a renowned music executive, entrepreneur and an illustrious son of Ihie Ndume, Ibeku in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, SamFrank Abarikwu, has concluded a two-day free medical outreach for members of Ihie Ndume community, as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroot.
The health outreach with the theme, “Healing our Roots, Strengthening our Future”, was organized under the Enyioha Foundation, and catered for both young and elderly residents with services including free eye testing, prescription glasses, blood pressure checks, hypertension screening, free drugs, medical diagnosis and general consultations.
Speaking during the exercise, Abarikwu said the initiative was inspired by his desire to give back to society and commemorate his birthday through a meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
According to him, the high cost of healthcare in the country informed his decision to bring free medical services closer to the people.
“This is not the first time we are doing something charitable. It was prompted by the need to provide quality healthcare and uplift the health status of our people. I decided to do something tangible to mark my birthday.
“Healthcare is very expensive right now, so I felt it was important to bring free medical care to the people where they can access drugs and proper medical attention without paying”, he said.
Abarikwu stressed that the outreach had no political undertone, insisting that his actions were purely humanitarian and community-driven.
“It has no political intention. I am not a politician. Whatever I do, I must start from home because charity begins at home”, he added.
He noted that the Enyioha Foundation has consistently carried out several community-based interventions, including sponsoring free JAMB registrations for over 200 students and organising the Unity Cup football competition aimed at promoting peace, unity and shared identity among youths.
“We also donated about 100 books to the library of Ibeku High School in collaboration with one of the biggest bookstores in Nigeria. We are only trying to bring back home the exposure and opportunities we have experienced elsewhere”, he stated.
The philanthropist commended the administration of Alex Otti for ongoing developmental strides in Abia State, particularly in the healthcare sector.
According to him, the visible transformation in the state has encouraged many indigenes to return home and contribute their quota to community development.
“It is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that Abia is changing. Since Governor Alex Otti came into office, there have been improvements in infrastructure, healthcare centres and prompt payment of salaries.
“That is why people like us are encouraged to come back home and support development because government cannot do everything alone”, he said.
He further explained that although the outreach paid special attention to the elderly, medical services were made available to everyone in the community regardless of age.
In an interview, some of the beneficiaries commended the gesture of SamFrank Abarikwu, describing the outreach as timely and impactful.
They expressed gratitude for the free medical services, noting that many residents, especially the elderly and less privileged, benefited from the healthcare initiative.
The beneficiaries, however, prayed for God’s blessings upon him and urged other well-meaning individuals to emulate his humanitarian efforts towards improving the wellbeing of the people.
