Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers at the Commissioning of Health Centre built and donated to Ndoni in Ogbe-Egbema-Ndoni local government area by Dr Peter Odili.
* Hails him for standing up for interest of Rivers people
*Fubara orders contractors handling zonal hospital projects back to site
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Former Rivers state governor, Peter Odili has endorsed Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the political leader of the state amidst the political feud between him and Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory.
He endorsed the governor on Thursday during the commissioning of a Primary Healthcare Centre donated by his PAMO Foundation in his hometown of Ndoni in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area.
Odili hailed Fubara for defending the interests of the people above the interest of few.
Odili urged Governor Fubara to act with the awareness that the state is strategically important to the country because of the natural resources in the state.
He emphasised that if the state sneezes, the entire nation catches a cold, stressing that the state is very important to the nation’s development.
Assessing Fubara’s performance, Odili commended him for making significant strides in critical sectors within his first year in office, particularly focusing on the well-being of the people.
He noted that Fubara’s administration is in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda, especially in the health sector, following the recent launch of the Primary Healthcare Fellows scheme by the Federal Government.
Odili encouraged the governor to maintain this alignment with the President and his policies to attract federal government attention and support to the state.
In his response, the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara ordered contractors handling various levels of work at the zonal hospitals in the State to return to site.
The governor said the measure is in furtherance with his administration commitment to ensure effective healthcare services delivered to the people at all the levels.
Governor Fubara spoke at the commissioning of the Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Center in Ndoni Town, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday.
The Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Center was built and donated to the state government by the Pamo Educational Foundation, with Dr Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers State as its founder.
Governor Fubara explained that he had to increase the quota of employment of health personnel into the health sector to 1000 persons because the initial 200 quota allocation he met on assumption of duty was grossly inadequate to meeting the prevailing needs in the sector.
Also, governor Fubara said over 340 primary healthcare facilities in the State were operating below capacity but his administration is rehabilitating and upgrading them for optimal operations.
“But I’m happy with the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board has said here today.
“On assumption of office it was different from what we’re recorded, giving hope to the people. We’re not going to stop improving that sector every day, by the special grace of God.
“We’ve gone further to improve our healthcare services by promising our people not just promising, but ensuring that we’ll see it through, that all the zonal hospitals must be put back to function.
“We have invited all the contractors that were awarded those jobs. We have asked them to return back to site. So that those facility will function to provide services to our people.
“The Executive Secretary mentioned about employment. When we came on board, the number I saw allocated to you was 200. But I’ve given you 1000 medical doctors. That is will tell you that we place importance on healthcare service for our society.”
Governor Fubara thanked Dr Odili for undertaking the project as a private citizen, deploying personal resources to give back to society.
Sir Fubara described the gesture as the best thing done for the people, which is worthy of emulation and urged the members of the community to own the project by protecting it.
Governor Fubara took a swipe at those describing his administration as clueless because it is not constructing roads to personal property or serving the interest of few individuals.
He insisted that he was elected to serve the general interest of Rivers people, improve their social status and make living confortable for them.
In his speech, Dr Odili said he was motivated to undertake rhe project because two years ago, when flood ravaged Ndoni Town, the health center in the community was destroyed, leaving people within 50 kilometer radius without immediate healthcare services.
Dr Odili who urged the governor to continue in his trajectory of people oriented project execution, touching the life of the people directly with his governance, declared that governor Fubara is the political leader of the state and Rivers people will continue to stand with him.
Speaking about the project, the Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh explained that the health facility that seats on the island of Ndoni in the political ward 14, has 20 bed spaces, will meet 80 percent healrhcare needs of rhe people.
Dr Oreh said the health facility will offer such services like deliveries, postnatal, immunization, cervical screening, hypertension and issues of tuberculosis and othee levels of health education services.
In his welcome address, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, Chairman of Rivers State Electoral Commission (RISEC) said the day will be remembered and treasured in history that a man, Dr Odili, a genius, with humanity impulse had used his personal resources to build a state- of -the-art health facility with support from his wife, Justice Odili.
Justice Enebeli asserted that the event demonstrated effective Public-Private partnership built and donated by Pamo Educational Foundation, pioneered Dr Odili and it will serve people in all the 18 villages in Ndoni Town.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, Dr Kinikanwo Green said the event of the day falls in six with the policy thrust of rhe Fubara led administration that has committed so much resources and motivation to making the facilities in the health sector function optimally.
Governor Fubara, while on his way to Ndoni Town, stopped over briefly in Elele Town at sighting the crowd of youths, women, men and traditional rulers who had waited to received him in transit. The governor waved at them, walked up to the canopy sheltering the traditional rulers, paid his homage and received the kola that they offered him.
Political leaders like Eze Okey Okah, the Chairman of Ocabic Group and Emmanuel Okah, Rivers State former commissioner of information amd communications, are indeignes of Elele Town in Ikwerre Local Government Area.