Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has flagged off the construction of a maiden general hospital in Ohanku-Ndoki, Ukwa East Local Government Area (LGA) to improve access to secondary healthcare in the area.
Speaking on Thursday at the occasion, Otti said that the facility would be the first secondary health institution in the area and expected to address long-standing deficiencies in quality medical care for residents.
The governor said that the project underscored his administration’s resolve to ensure equitable and qualitative healthcare delivery across the state, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
He noted that upon completion, the hospital would cater for people in the community and environs, reduce the need for long-distance travel for treatment and enhance emergency medical response.
He commended the traditional ruler of the host community, Eze Chibuzor Chinyere, for donating the land for the project, describing the gesture as patriotic and development-oriented.
He assured the community that other requests presented to the state government would be reviewed and prioritised in line with available resources.
Otti also said that the proposals on the establishment of a Free Trade Zone, revival of dormant assets and investment in agro-processing, especially palm oil production
were already receiving attention.
He said these proposals aligned with the state’s broader economic development strategy.
Otti disclosed that his administration had earlier explored the possibility of establishing a seaport in Abia and had initiated discussions with Chinese partners.
He noted that the engagement with the partners encountered technical constraints, including the 19.5 nautical miles distance to the high sea and dredging implications.
The governor however, maintained that efforts in that regard were ongoing.
Otti further revealed that the government had commenced scoping works on Ohanku Road in Aba which would lead into the community.
He added that the rehabilitation of Ohanku and Port Harcourt Road would require extensive sub-structural work due to challenging soil conditions.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Uche, said that the project reflected the governor’s commitment to providing affordable, accessible and quality healthcare services.
Uche said that the hospital would be designed to serve the healthcare needs of the people through improved access to quality healthcare services.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Okey Kanu, said that the project would help reduce maternal and infant mortality while strengthening primary and secondary healthcare services.
Kanu added that the hospital would generate employment and stimulate socio-economic growth.
In his speech,a former senate president, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, said that the project spoke eloquently of the present administration’s resolve to run an inclusive government.
Wabara commended the governor’s holistic and strategic approach to healthcare development evident through the hospital being built for the people of Ukwa West LGA.
Also, a former lawmaker, Chief Chris Nkwonta described the event as historic, noting that since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, no governor had visited Ukwa East to inaugurate such a major project.
Nkwonta highlighted the economic potential of the area, pointing to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the prospects for a Free Trade Zone and agro-industrial development.
He also called for government intervention in lingering boundary disputes between communities in Ukwa and neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.
The traditional ruler, Eze Chibuzor Chinyere of Ikwuorie Automous Community, described the hospital as a long-awaited intervention, noting that the community previously had no single hospital.
Chinyere expressed optimism that the facility would spur commercial activities in the area.
He appealed to the state government for electricity metering, provision of transformers, extension of Smart Schools and speedy completion of Ohanku Road in the area.
