A medical doctor, Dr. Johnson Obuna has been kidnapped in his private hospital at Aguogboriga Estate in Abakaliki by unknown gunmen.
The doctor who is a pastor with Redeemed Christian Church of Nigeria is an Obstetrician gynecologist with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.
The former state Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) was kidnapped by unknown gunmen when he was about leaving his hospital after the day’s work.
[ad id=”403656″]He was kidnapped on Tuesday around 9pm.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of NMA, Dr. Agwu Umahi said the Association was going to hold an emergency meeting Thursday to sensitize members on the development so that all hands would be on deck to ensure his release immediately.
In a statement, Ebonyi state police command assured the general public that the medical doctor would soon be released as the command was on top of the situation.
Already, the Commissioner of police, CP Peace Ibekwe Abdullah has visited the victim’s family and deployed officers of the command toward the task of hunting down the kidnappers and releasing the victim without delay.
Meanwhile, NMA has threatened to embark on strike if their colleague was not released.
They said such episode has become a trend in the state and should be discouraged by security agencies in the state.
Fourteen persons died at the weekend in an accident at Amasiri Secondary School junction, on the Afikpo-Okigwe road in Abakaliki.
The accident involved a truck and a 14-seater bus conveying members of the Assemblies of God Church, Isu, Ohaoazara Local Government Area, from a funeral at Arochukwu.
Fourteen occupants of the bus died instantly. Six others were injured. Ten of the dead were women.
The conductor of the truck, who gave his name simply as Ekenechukwu, said his master complained of weakness and drowsiness. He told him to park.
“My oga complained of tiredness and I told him to stop and rest but he did not agree. He said we should keep moving as it was too late to stop on the road. At a time, he said we should drive to a residential area.
“The way he drove showed he was tired. The other bus cleared for us when we hit it,” he said.
Corroborating Ekenechukwu, a resident, Amadi Kingsley, said the bus cleared on sensing danger.
“I think the truck driver was reckless because the bus driver cleared for him but as you can see, he still hit the bus and look at the result; innocent people have just died”.
Another resident, Mrs Regina Ukpa, said: “I call on relevant authorities to expedite action on reconstruction works to save innocent lives,” she said.
Afikpo Unit commander of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) Mr Roland Ogbuke, confirming the incident, said: “We received a distress call early morning of the accident and I mobilised rescue officers to the scene.
“Sources informed us that the driver of the truck tried to dodge a heap of sand but hit the oncoming bus, which was in a convoy.
“It crushed the bus to a tree, some metres away from the road, decapitating the bus and mangling the passengers’ bodies.
“We had to mobilise a nearby quarry company to use its heavy duty machine to cut the tree and parts of the bus to evacuate the mangled bodies.
“The police assisted us in evacuating the bodies to the Mater Misericordae Hospital, Afikpo, because our vehicle developed a fault on the way.
“We urge citizens, whose relatives did not return from a journey on Saturday, to visit the hospital to identify the bodies of their relations,” he said.
Police spokesman Chris Anyanwu said investigation into the incident had begun.
Fourteen persons at the weekend died in a ghastly road accident at Amasiri Secondary School junction of the Afikpo-Okigwe federal roadin Ebonyi state.
The accident which occurred around midnight involved an articulated vehicle and a 14-seater bus conveying members of the Assemblies of God’s Church, Isu in Ohaoazara Local Government Area from a burial.
Mr Roland Ogbuke, Afikpo Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) confirmed the incident to our reporter.
He said: “We received a distress call early morning of the accident, and I mobilized my rescue officers immediately to the scene of the carnage.
“Sources informed us that the articulated vehicle-driver was trying to dodge a heap of sand on the road but hit the oncoming bus which was on a convoy of vehicles.
“The articulated vehicle then pushed the bus to a tree some metres away from the road and crushed it on the tree, decapitating the bus in the process and mangling the passengers’ bodies.
“We have to mobilise a nearby quarry company which used its heavy duty machine to cut the tree and decapitated parts of the bus, in order to evacuate the mangled bodies of the passengers,” he said.
Ogbuke remarked that the crushed passengers were mostly women, as their relatives and church- members who were inside other vehicles, cooperated with his officers in the evacuation process.
“The police in particular, assisted the FRSC in evacuating the bodies to the Mater Misericordae hospital Afikpo because our vehicle developed a serious fault on the way.
“We are thereby urging citizens of the state whose relatives failed to return from a journey on Saturday, to visit the hospital to identify corpses of the relatives,” he said.
He noted that the FRSC with the aid of other security agencies and the quarry company, conducted a ‘mop-up’ of the accident scene to ensure free flow of traffic along the road.
“We urge the public to imbibe road safety practices by shunning night journeys, over speeding among other practices that negate road safety regulations,” he said.
Mrs Regina Ukpa, a resident of the area said that the incident has instilled fear inside the people due to the high rate of vehicular movements along the road.
“I call on relevant authorities to expedite action on reconstruction works on roads in the area and across the state, to save innocent lives lost in such avoidable carnages,” she said.
From catering to the health of WWII soldiers to serving the Eastern Regional Government, the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki has weathered every storm to become a leading health institution. OGOCHUKWU ANIOKE reports
It has come of age. First, colonial authorities once shipped wounded soldiers in the Second World War to the hospital. In time, the Eastern Regional Government took it over before passing it to the East Central State Government. Ebonyi State authorities have since taken over but even though the hospital occasionally came under rough weather, it has earned its prime position in the health sector.
As wounded soldiers on the Cameroon flank of the WWII have lain on its beds, so have ailing residents of the Eastern Regional Government, and health workers of the hospital have catered to them all.
Established in the l930s under the British colonial administration, its name has changed from Casualty Control Centre to Abakaliki General Hospital and then to Federal Medical Centre.
By 1973, the hospital had the full complement of consultant staff and was approved for training of House Officers. It later went into limbo. Facilities deteriorated and consultant staff fell short as the East Central State was split into many states. It almost became moribund.
The hospital became a Federal Medical Centre in March, 1991 following the agreement between the Federal Government and Enugu State Government.
With the takeover, the Hospital made modest progress. But the best was yet to come.
Things continued to look up from 2007 when Associate Prof. Paul Olisaemeka Ezeonu, then Head of Clinical Services in the Medical Centre, became Chief Medical Director. Since then, there has been remarkable growth in virtually every department of the hospital.
Outpatient patronage has risen to about 5,000 monthly. Accreditation for training of House officers has been restored. During his election campaign tour to Ebonyi State in 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan promised to upgrade the Federal Medical Centre to a Teaching Hospital. On December 7 of that year, the President fulfilled his election promise by proclaiming the Centre a Federal Teaching Hospital. He further directed that Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital be absorbed into the new mega Teaching Hospital comprising FETHA I (former FMC) and FETHA II (former EBSUTH).
The handover process was completed the same month including the absorption of the staff of the defunct State University Teaching Hospital.
The mega teaching hospital concept fitted in exactly with the vision of the CMD, Associate Prof. Paul Ezeonu. German-trained and imbued with a passion for excellence and hard work, Dr. Ezeonu has laboured long to take FETHA to the top among teaching hospitals not only in Nigeria but indeed across the world.
On assumption of office as CMD, he had created a lofty vision to make the hospital a global player. He went on to initiate what have aptly been described as “transformational projects” that have indeed catapulted the hospital to the global league in the industry.
The new Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki FETHA, under Prof. Ezeonu has indeed become mega and world class with a retinue of over 4,000 staff comprising over 200 Consultants in various specialties, 602 beds ward complex distributed in various departments, 500 doctors undergoing residency training and a capacity for training of over 250 House Officers every year.
Furthermore, the hospital is now relocating to its new multipurpose building complex designed as a one-stop shop complex to accommodate the various units and departments such as children’s emergency units and wards, Obstetrics and Gynecology (O&G) wards and units, Accounts department, administration department, consulting rooms and wards among others.
These projects were commissioned recently by President Goodluck Jonathan.
•Quarters for Resident Doctors and House officers
Also completed and commissioned by the President who was represented by the Minister of State for Health, Mr Fidelis Nwankwo are buildings for Resident Doctors’ and House Officers’ quarters comprising several units of self contained accommodation, medical records blocks, laboratories, dental clinics among others.
At the occasion, Prof Ezeonu said the “new multi-purpose hospital complex is designed as a one-stop complex to accommodate various units in the departments of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology; administration department comprising consulting rooms and wards among others”.
“The Medical Records and Medical Laboratory Complexes have also been completed; all interwoven as one complex to reduce distance, waiting time and stress on patients and staff”.
“Construction of ongoing projects include an ultra modern auditorium with five hundred sifting capacity, a lecture hall with a two-hundred desk sitting capacity, an E-library and a conventional library as well as an ultra modern theatre and several other facilities with modern ancillary amenities located within the new site and FETHA II”.
School of basic nursing and school of basic midwifery hostels.
Perhaps, the icing on the cake of both the histry of FETHA and the transformational achievements of Assoc Prof Ezeonu is the establishment of the school of Basic Nursing and School of Midwifery. Conceived in 2011 following the upgrade of the hospital to a teaching hospital, the school constitute a story of hope as well as a child of circumstance.
The story is told of how it came to the notice of the Chief Medical Director, Assoc. Prof. Ezeonu, that minor illnesses were being referred to the federal teaching hospital because there were insufficient health personnel to manage the various primary health care centers in the state.
•A fuel station at the facility
Acting in concert with other members of the management the CMD took up the challenge of selling up the school. The school was thus conceived to fill a critical gap, namely, the lack of trained and qualified basic nursing and midwifery personnel in primary health care institutions in Ebonyl State and environs.
According to Ezeonu, the school is the first Government-owned nursing training facility in Ebonyi State since inception.
“The schools have commenced having obtained accreditation from the Nursing Council of Nigeria in 2014. The schools are fully operational with state-of-the-arts accommodation; transport and educational facilities. We are currently seeking collaboration with Canadian Universities in the areas of exchange programmes and manpower training”.
Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of State for Health, said the commissioning is a land mark event in line with the president’s determination to ensure access to quality and affordable health care for the citizens.
He said, “I see much more than the physical structures. What I see is the satisfaction on the faces of patients who would access services from this one-stop shop, the clinical complex and the high morale of the young doctors in their new quarters”.
“I want to reiterate this administration’s commitment to providing world class health care services to Nigerians through adequate Funding, provision of modern facilities and well trained personnel ensuring an enabling environment for healthcare workers as well as institution of people-oriented policies”.
“Providing modern health care infrastructure such as the New Compact Hospital Complex. School of Nursing and Midwifery ostels. House Officers’ Quarters, Resident Doctors Quarters, cological Drainage and Roads are among the card inal objectives of Mr. President’s Transformation Agenda as prioritized under the National Strategic Health Development Plan.
“Under this plan, government is motivating existing local health manpower and encouraging Nigerian health experts based abroad to return to ensure that Nigerians get easy access to high quality health care and more importantly, minimise medical tourism”.
“I am particularly impressed with the establishment at the Schools of Basic Nursing and Midwifery in the Hospital, which will go a long way in providing well qualified nurses and midwives not just for this hospital but for other hospitals in the state and its environs.
In the past four years, Nigerian health care system has witnessed remarkable improvement as Government has invested heavily in strengthening human resources by scaling up the Midwifes Service Scheme (MSS) providing health facilities and instituting the maternal and Child health (MCI-I) component of SURE-P”.
“The government is modernising medical diagnostics and upgrading several tertiary health care facilities to meet the standard existing in those countries where Nigerians seek foreign medical treatment”.
“As such, it has so far modernized and reequipped to international standard in phases, 14 Federal Tertiary Hospitals across the country to deliver quality health care. The Government is in the process of modernizing the remaining Teaching Hospitals, FETHA inclusive, and the revamping of the 14 already modernized Teaching hospitals through Public Private Partnership with VAMED Nig Ltd”.
“I must commend the Chief Medical Director (CMD) and the Board of Management of FETHA for their vision of re-engineering and restructuring the hospital. The Management of the hospital has been the driving force behind the building projects that I am about to commission today.”
The chairman, Board of Management of the Hospital, Alhaji Suleiman Abdulahi Dawaki Kudu expressed hope that the laudable projects will, in no small measure, spur the Federal Government towards the replication of the projects in other states and localities of the Federation for the provision of excellence in our healthcare delivery services.
With the unfolding success story of the teaching Hospital, it is little wonder that it is fast becoming the destination of choice for local, national and international scientific and medical conferences, Annual General Meeting of medical associations, medical and health related workshops as well as the celebrations to mark United Nations Special Days connected with health issues.
Hardly a month passes without one of such event. Fifteen of such events actually held in the Hospital last year including the Scientific Conference & Annual General Meeting of National Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, Medical Women Association of Nigeria Dialogue etc.
This is in line with Ezeonu’s vision for the institution. In his words: “Our plan is to move to an international standard teaching hospital so that Nigerians can stop going to India, England and other places for treatment because these people in India are not better than us, and they do not come to Nigeria for medical treatment That is our target in FETHA. We have all it environment”
”Our motto is Excellence in Health Care Delivery. I want people in this state and the entire Nigerians to know that FETHA has come to stay, to serve and deliver world class medical services to the people. And apart from delivering medical services as a teaching hospital, we shall continue to train younger ones for better performance, we shall also be offering practical and theoretical teaching to both the Federal University at Ndufu Alike Ikwo, the Ebonyi State University and our own School of Nursing and Midwifery. People should know that we are here to work and give in the best we can to better the society.”
With such reassuring pledge from the CMD, it can be said that things can only get better at FETHA as the Management seeks to break new grounds in climbing to the top of the league of global players among the teaching hospital world community.
A 20-year-old girl, Miss Mercy Elom was on Wednesday morning burnt to death as a mysterious fire gutted 68 rooms in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.
Elom was among the candidates that wrote this year’s Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination and an ICT apprentice at Pastoral Centre, a foremost ICT centre in the town.
The fire outbreak, which started at around 1am occurred at 40 Igwe Liga Street, Mile 50 Abakaliki, a large residential compound of over 100 rooms.
The dead victim, who hails from Onuenyim Agbaja, Izzi Local Government Area of the state was squatting with her girl friend who had travelled and left the house for her.
Items worth millions were also destroyed by the inferno including motor cycles, tricycles, staff and students’ documents, refrigerators of different kind, electronics, house hold property among others.
One of the victims whose father is the owner of the large compound, Elias Igwe said he was in deep sleep when noise from the residents about the inferno woke him up.
“People were shouting Fire! Fire!! Fire!!! This woke me up. I came down from upstairs and saw everywhere engulfed by fire.
“We tried to put off the fire but were helpless because it overpowered us. So I have to rush to the state fire service and contacted them with the help of the Divisional Police Officer, Kpirikpiri but the bad road leading to our compound affected their arrival and before they could arrive, the fire had gutted about 50 rooms,” he narrated.
While some of the tenants were able to salvage a few of their property, some others were not so lucky especially the health workers and security officers who were on night duty when the incident happened.
One of the tenants, Mr. Aleke Celestine lamented the loss of his vital documents and called on government to come to their aid.
He said, “Yesterday night around after one, I was in my room when I heard voices of people shouting, we came out and saw a room burning, we went out and did our best to quench the fire but we couldn’t.
“When the fire was getting out of hands we started bringing out our property. We couldn’t salvage most of our property including documents which we all lost to the fire. My appeal is that government should come to our aid”
To incorporate current realities and ensure Uyo retains its pride of place as a modern city and centre of attraction in Nigeria, the Akwa Ibom State government is set to review its master plan.
Chairman, Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA), Imo Edet Inyan disclosed this while addressing delegates from the Abakaliki Capital City Development Board (ACCDB) who were on a study tour of Uyo.
Inyan told his counterparts from Ebonyi State that the uncommon transformation of the state capital and its environs was a result of the faithful implementation of its master plan, adding that the plan, which is 10 years old, is due for a comprehensive review to incorporate current realities.
He said UCCDA, established by the Akwa Ibom State Edict 13 of 1988, is vested with the responsibility of managing land within the capital city, designate sites for government and other projects, undertake public sensitisation, and organise stakeholders meetings, enforcement of and demolition illegal structures, among others.
The UCCDA boss said the Ibom International Airport road would soon have a city gate and a parade ground.
Secretary and head of administration, UCCDA, Mrs Emem Umoh, said other states have visited Uyo before to also understudy the state’s development strategies.
The Surveyor-General, Okokon Essien, said the Uyo capital city is 10 kilometers radius from the city centre, adding that it will be increased to 15 kilometers radius in the reviewed master plan.
The Ebonyi State team led by its Chairman, Mr Edward Nkwegu and General Manager, Justin Ogedo, said Abakaliki, which traverses seven local government areas, needs proper planning.
The ACCDB Chairman said Ebonyi State government decided to study Akwa Ibom State development system and draw lessons for use in Ebonyi.
The Ebonyi State team inspect ed over 20 projects around the state capital. They visited the Akwa Ibom international Airport, the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, the State House, the Anniversary Hospital, Central motor park located at Itam, Itam timber market, Bank layout, industrial layout, Unity Park, The Tropicana Complex, Le-Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort, several highways and flyovers.
The Ebonyi team said they learnt a lot going through the projects and that they would put their lessons to use in Abakaliki, the state capital. They were full of praises for Governor Godswill Akpabio, who they described as a man with foresight.
The Ebonyi team is not the first to come on a tour to study how the administration has turned around Uyo from a glorified village to a biffiting state capital, which many long to visit.
When Ebonyi State was created in 1996, Abaka-liki, the state capital, was likened to a glorified village. There were no motorable roads, no good infrastructure, hotels and the sanitary situation was terrible. Garbage littered every nook and cranny of the city.
Successive governments had attempted to clear the refuse dumps that could be likened to mountains. But try they could not find a solution to the problem. It was like a city of refuse; the dumps continued to increase due to enhanced domestic refuse generation. It was further compounded by the influx of people from within and outside the state to the new capital city.
At a point, workers included cleaning of the capital city as one of its demands during the May Day celebration in 2011.
Apparently disappointed and dismayed by the inability of the Ministry of Health, which was then saddled with refuse disposal and management in the state, Governor Martin Elechi created a Ministry of the Environment in 2011.
He deployed Dr. Paul Okorie as the commissioner.
Surprisingly, Okorie, who was in charge of Abakaliki Capital Development Authority (ACDA), cleaned up the city in 13 days.
When he was removed in August last year, the fortunes of the town, in terms of neatness relapsed. Overfilled waste bins and refuse-littered roads.
The situation within Abakaliki metropolis has become so alarming that residents are afraid that if no urgent steps are taken by the Ministry of Environment to address the menace, there may be an outbreak of epidemic.
Refuse heaps, which were not common in the days of Okorie, because of effective waste disposal management system he put in place, have become a common phenomenon on major roads, streets and at bus stops.
Some places that are notorious for mountain-like refuse heaps are Ogbaga Road around New Kpirikpiri Market, St. Patrick Road Kpirikpiri, Goddy Ogbaga Avenue, Convent Road, opposite Enugu Electricity Distribution Company that is close to Awolowo Street, Uga Street behind Federal Teaching Hospital (FETHA) and some adjoining roads within the state capital, among others.
The inability of the state government to decisively tackle environmental problems has led to criticisms of the Elechi-led administration for sacking the pioneer Commissioner for Environment, who worked diligently to ensure a sustained and healthy environment.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that Okorie’s removal was orchestrated by some self-centered politicians who do not have the interest of the people at heart.
The capital is no longer environmental-friendly because of unlawful dumping of refuse by residents.
The leadership of the Ministry of Environment seems to lack the will, initiative and the know-how to deal with a glaring environmental degradation.
Unarguably, between the periods the former Commissioner for Environment was removed and the current one appointed, grunge overwhelmed the state capital, causing environmental pollution that is inimical to residents and visitors.
Stakeholders are wondering what use the waste disposal machines procured by the government through the state chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) are, considering the level of filthiness that has overtaken the state capital.
What is rather more hazardous to the health of residents of Abakaliki is the regular burning of wastes within residential areas by those suspected to be members of the staff of the Ministry of Environment; a development many health practitioners have condemned.
The hazy smoke emanating from the burning garbage dumps is posing a threat to the health of the residents.
For instance, a resident, Mr. John Eluu, expressed dismay over the indiscriminate littering of garbage in the state capital.
“The situation is disheartening. We find garbage almost everywhere within the state capital. The State Ministry of Environment does not appear to have any waste disposal management skill to tackle this problem. What is happening now is unprecedented. Government needs to act fast so that our environment will look healthy again.”
Another resident, Mrs. Gloria Aniamaka, urged a stop to the indiscriminate burning of wastes within the capital as it is one of the easiest ways for people to contact diseases without even knowing it.
However, the Commissioner for Environment, David Egbu, said modalities had been put in place to ensure that the state capital is clean.
He debunked insinuations that the ministry was redundant.
According to him, the Ministry of Environment will not fold its arm and allow indiscriminate dumping of refuse within Abakaliki.
“We are not relenting over the situation. The ministry has mobilised its machinery to ensure that the state capital remained clean and habitable for all,” he added.
Rice millers at Abakaliki Rice Mill Company have threatened to stop work, if the state government persists with its threat to relocate them.
Chairman of the mill, Chief Joseph Ununu, made this known in an interview in Abakaliki.
He was reacting to a staement by the state governor that the environmental status of the mill made its rice unhygienic.
He said: “This relocation issue is distracting us; we will be forced to down tools to see whether the government will be pleased.
“We will mill and preserve enough rice that will sustain our families and gather at our office daily without doing any work.”
According to him, there has not been any reported case of ill health caused by the consumption of the rice.
“Environmental experts continually assess our surroundings and have always certified us fit for operation.
“Elechi buys our rice always; he used our rice for campaigns during his first and second tenure.
“The rice used by local government chairmen and traditional rulers to pay him homage are all from the Abakaliki Rice Mill.”
He noted that millers would readily relocate to any site, if facilities that would enable them to operate optimally were provided.
“Our machines do not operate under the sun or in the rain; so we need facilities where we will instal the machines and preserve our produce.
“The new rice mills constructed by the government are not yet functional and do not have the necessary facilities that will make us relocate from our present site,” he added.
A former Senator representing Ebonyi North, Anthony Agbo, yesterday urged the federal government to enter into deeper security collaboration with the United States and Israel to win the war against insurgency in the north.
He spoke in Abakaliki with reporters.
Agbo said such pact will enable security agencies to gain access to intelligence and infrastructure of these countries for a more effective fight against the insurgents.
According to him: “Prayer is the spiritual side of it but on the practical and diplomatic side, I would want the government to enter into this security and diplomatic pact with these countries.
“I believe that this is what we need at the time because our security personnel as good as they are trying cannot contain with the complicated terrorist situation.
“This is because we don’t have adequate training for the military, police and other security networks.”
SUNDAY, November 24, telecom outfit, Globacom, invaded Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, with its Laffta Fest Invasion LOL. The event saw East Africa’s celebrated comedian, Salvador from Uganda, sending the crowd through bouts of laughter as he related the peculiar ways of life of his native Ugbokolo village.
Complementing Salvador’s act was one of Nigeria’s most brilliant standup acts, Bovi, who excited the audience with his classic joke that juxtaposed a typical Nigerian political rally with that of the United States of America. His parody of Barack Obama at a political rally was the clincher.
As is the custom, Basketmouth led 12 other comedians and three Nigerian music sensations to the show. The show was opened with the voice of Vinissi, Abakaliki based female vocalist. It then spiralled into a series of comedy sessions with 2CanTalk, Parrotmouth, SIM Card, Bash, Gandoki, Julius Agwu, Bovi, Akpororo and Okey Bakassi dishing out spontaneous and contemporary jokes to the delight of the audience.
Nigerian music stars, Chee the Voice, Burna Boy and Mr. Incredible, MI, kept the people on their feet during their different sessions with their superlative renditions. The Glo Laffta Fest which kicked off in Lagos six weeks ago has toured Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Benin and Abakaliki.
The show will be held in Enugu this Sunday while Asaba, Uyo and Ibadan will take their turn in subsequent weeks. It is rated as Africa’s biggest comedy show and it is organised by Globacom to thank its subscribers for their massive support in the past 10 years.
