Category: South East

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, backed by his Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Andrew Emwanta, and his Health counterpart, Prof. Obehi Akoria, as well as the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are bickering over the demolition of the over 100-year-old Central Hospital, Benin.

Edo APC, through its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Victor Osehobo, yesterday in Benin, accused Obaseki’s administration of allegedly being economical with the truth over the demolition of the state government-owned hospital.

The main opposition APC said: “For Emwanta, the demolition of Central Hospital is a transformation and relocation. For Obaseki, it is decentralisation, and for his Health commissioner, it is an upgrade and integration. One hospital, three objectives. This is the confusion. Edo State government is confused.”

Edo APC reiterated that three months ago, commissioner for communication and orientation claimed that Obaseki’s administration was relocating the hospital to the state government-owned Stella Obasanjo Specialist Hospital, Sapele Road,  Benin, and would not demolish it. But it was demolished last week.

The opposition party insisted that instead of converting the expansive land to a motor park, the Obaseki government should take the bold step of going ahead with the second phase of the Edo Specialist Hospital, started by the administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who later became the national chairman of the APC.

Obaseki, however, said that the decentralised health care system would improve efficient, accessible and quality health care delivery to the citizens.

He said: “Our strategy is to decentralise health care. We do not need that central model. We do not need a central hospital any more. What we need are decentralised health clinics with Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the state, which will be the first point of contact for patients.

“It is only based on reference from these units that you now come to a specialist hospital. We intend to provide world-class services that will stop medical tourism and you can afford these services by keying into our health insurance policy.

“The designs for specialist hospitals across the three senatorial districts are already on, as we look at other options, especially in Edo North Senatorial District. This project will be ready by the last quarter of 2022, as the facility will be opened for the first set of patients when we are celebrating Alaghodaro this year.”

Commissioner for communication and orientation, while also speaking about the controversial demolition of the hospital, noted that the facilities of the over 100-year-old hospital had become old and would no longer support modern day health care service delivery.

Emwanta said: “The Central Hospital has been relocated to the Stella Obasanjo Specialist Hospital, which is being expanded and improved to deliver quality health services to Edo people, while the old Central Hospital will be transformed.

“Edo people, on September 19, 2020 gave Governor Obaseki a mandate under the Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) manifesto, to develop the state. The ongoing infrastructural development and institutional reforms are the second and third thematic pillars of the MEGA manifesto of the current administration. So, there is no retreat or surrender on the developmental mandate freely given by Edo people to our beloved governor.”

The commissioner for health said the relocation of the Central Hospital to Stella Obasanjo Specialist Hospital was an upgrade and integration.

The presidential ambition of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, received a boost in Calabar, Cross River State, yesterday.

An APC stalwart in the state, Elder David Okon, donated his five-storey building to serve as a secretariat for Tinubu support groups, to achieve the presidential ambition of the former Lagos State governor.

A meeting of support groups in the state for the advancement of the presidential ambition of Asiwaju Tinubu ended on a high note, with the offer of the campaign secretariat by Okon, a former deputy governorship candidate on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Cross River.

Speaking during the meeting at 65, Mayne Avenue, Calabar, Okon, who presided, said he had accepted a proposal from the groups that his building should serve as a secretariat to coordinate the activities of the groups across the 18 local governments.

He said Asiwaju Tinubu was the answer to the clamour of Nigerians, who wanted him to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari, to consolidate the strength of the party and achieve more progress for the country in critical sectors.

The Chancellor of Benson Idahosa University (BIU), Benin, Edo State, Archbishop Margaret Benson-Idahosa, has said the institution is being driven by a vision birthed by the founding Chancellor, the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa.

The renowned cleric, who is also the archbishop of the Church of God Mission International (CGMI), said she was excited over the approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC), of the College of Medicine for BIU.

Archbishop Benson-Idahosa, while laying the foundation of the Medical Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology complex of the private university at its Heritage Campus in Ugbor, Benin at the weekend, said the founder placed emphasis on the Schools of Theology and Agriculture, as well as the College of Medicine.

She said: “It was the desire of the founding Chancellor of BIU that the university would have a College of Medicine that would raise medical professionals, who would practise the profession with the fear of God. The vision is with a global impact.

“In pursuant of the vision and to the glory of God, the NUC has granted the permission to admit students into three new programmes, within the College of Medicine: Medical Biochemistry; Anatomy, Physiology and Medicine and Surgery.

“It is imperative that we begin the construction of the college complex that will accommodate the three departments: Medical Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, including the laboratories.”

The Lagos Island Chapter Alumni Association, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, has handed over an ultra-modern students’ convenience and nursing mothers’ unit to the management of the institution.

The N30 million state-of-the art facility at the Faculty of Education comprises male and female conveniences with 16 toilets, as well as nursing mothers’ and expectant mothers’ section for their relaxation.

Speaking at the weekend during the inauguration, the initiator and alumni Chairperson, Princess Amaka Obi, said the challenge she encountered in accessing convenience at the institution informed the association’s decision to embark on the project.

She said she was nearly frustrated during one of her visits to the school in search of where to urinate, as the available ones often used by principal officers of the institution were locked.

Obi added that the facility, the first of its kind in the institution, was conceived soon after she assumed leadership.

She said: “As a one-time student of this school, I know what students pass through. There was a time I visited here and wanted to ease myself. I attempted to enter three places, but all of them were locked.

“When I got to Lagos, I shared my experience with my people and we decided that embarking on the project would be ideal. I took it upon myself to ensure a legacy project was done by the alumni chapter I represent.”

Obi said the facility’s maintenance would not be a challenge, adding: “We’re discussing with the university on how to engage professionals who will manage it for six months before taking it further from there.”

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Charles Esimone, praised the benefactor and the alumni for the gesture, describing the project as a promise fulfilled.

He said: “When she promised me that the project would be completed in a year, I didn’t take her seriously. But she has kept faith. I commend her for her patience and doggedness.

“I specifically appreciate the Lagos Island branch for setting the pace and all who contributed to the realisation of the project. This facility can compete with any other across the world.

“We’re going to start the groundbreaking of our alumni building by February. It has already been approved by council. We’ll continue to support the alumni to ensure it rises to an enviable height.”

The National President of the body, Emeka Nwafor, an engineer, hailed the Lagos Island chapter for keying into the ideals of the association as the backbone of the institution.

“The Lagos Island chapter has set the ball rolling. I challenge other chapters to up their games and work towards enhancing the institution’s visibility,” he said.

A group, the Southsouth Youth Coalition (SSYC), has supported former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu to vie for the president in 2023, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It made this known yesterday in an online statement by its Coordinator-General, Solomon Okoduwa; the Deputy Coordinator-General, Queensly Ebozele and the Secretary-General, Iyamu Osaro.

SSYC said Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip, had demonstrated capacity and integrity to lead Nigeria.

It noted that the movement tagged: “Transformation Agenda for Nigerians 2023”, would be an opportunity for people living in the Southeast and Southsouth to support Kalu, who would be on a mission to unify Nigeria, while the movement would use digital platforms to galvanise support for the former Abia governor.

The body said: “Our support base will only be centred around PVC holders, to drive robust political campaigns to support the candidature of Kalu in 2023.”

Kalu had said that the Southeast was ripe for the president in 2023 and that he was ready to contest against the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola  Tinubu, and other presidential aspirants.

Imo State Government has reduced its debt to N151 billion from the inherited N164 billion debt profile, the Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Public Enlightenment, Eze Ugochukwu, has said.

He said Governor Uzodimma, as at December 31, 2019, a few days before he came to power, inherited N164 billion debt, which he reduced to N151 billion on September 30, 2021, including loan repayment of N1.2 billion Imo Standard Shoes Industry, Owerri.

According to him, the statement from the Debt Management Office (DMO) said: “Uzodimma did not inherit a domestic debt of between N110 billion and N115 billion at the inception of his administration on January 15, 2020.

“Rather, the Domestic Debt Stock as at December 31, 2019 stood at N164 billion.

“As at September 30, 2021, the Uzodimma administration had reduced the total debt to N151 billion. The governor is paying off debt, not the other way round.

“Among other debts paid by Uzodimma is the N1.2 billion Imo Standard Shoe Debt overhang. Today, the factory is back in the hands of the state government.”