Abba Primary Health Centre: Correcting Wrong Impressions & Putting The Narrative In Better Perspective

NJOKU MACDONALD OBINNA 

There is no doubt that both State and Federal legislators are elected to represent their people; constituencies. And part of their responsibilities outside  law making and oversight functions is also to facilitate projects and attract government presence in their respective communities, wards, and larger constituencies.

With the above subject matter under discussion, I am humbly compelled while adopting an interventionist approach to correct certain wrong impressions in some quaters about claims and counter-claims over who attracted the ongoing renovation, upgrading and equipping of the dilapidated Abba Primary Health Centre;  located at Nkwoebu market junction (👉🏿…by your right hand side),  in Umuopara Abba, Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, for the medical benefits of our aging parents in the village, all and sundry across Abba communities and neighbouring towns. 

In putting the records straight, one must acknowledge the brain behind the attraction and facilitation of this singular multi-million Naira renovation project: And for all intents and purposes, a well deserved recognition, appreciation and due commendation should be given to no less personality than the member representing Nkwerre/Isu/Nwangele/Njaba Federal Constituency  in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo.

Going down memory lane, on 23rd September 2017, Chief Ugonna Ozurigbo as Deputy Speaker of the 8th Imo State House of Assembly and Honourable Member representing Nwangele Constituency alongside the retinue of his colourful entourage made a stop-over at the obviously dilapidated Abba Primary Health Centre for on the spot assessment tour of the facility after series of complaints and criticisms from the likes of the writer and a number of Abba leaders, who did not toe the path of lampooning the lawmaker in the public space because he is also their son. 

Unfortunately, there was a limit to what  he could have done as a State legislator to renovate, upgrade and also equip a dilapidated health Centre, which could gulp over Thirty Million Naira (N30,000.000.00). He had the willingness and drive to do that but was constrained by resources. Let me also acknowledge that on one occasion around 2016, High Chief Paul Ozigbu (Nnanyereugo of Abba), then Chairman of Abba Autonomous Communities Development Union (AACDU) and myself visited the dilapidated Abba Primary Health Centre as that formidable Union was also putting measures in place to see if they could renovate it as a community. But the idea might not have been accepted by all the members of AACDU for a number of reasons: the funding, individual interest, the location of the primary health centre, who owns what, who claims what, and related community clash of interest. That is by the way.

Fast forward to 2019: Having been elected a Federal lawmaker, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo, who is now the House Committee Chairman on Justice, with a wider platform, reach and social contacts, saw his new elevated position as a golden opportunity to revisit the issue of Abba Primary Health Centre in honest attempts to renovate, upgrade, equip and give it some touch of excellence deserving of a modern primary health centre.  

In doing this, he leveraged on his long time strong political alliance (Rescue Mission family) with the House Committee Chairman on Health Institutions and member representing Ideato North/ Ideato South Federal Constituency, Hon. Dr. Paschal Obi, to request for the renovation and upgrading of some primary health centres across his Federal Constituency to be captured in the 2021 Appropiration Budget of the National Assembly as the Chairman on Health Institutions, House of Representatives. Chief Ugonna Ozurigbo’s plea was granted without objections.

Luckily enough, the bid for an award of contract for the renovation, upgrading and equipping of Abba Primary Health Centre with project title no: ”ERGP2515703, RENOVATION, UPGRADING AND EQUIPPING OF ABBA PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE, PHC, NWANGELE LGA, IMO STATE” as captured in the 2021 Financial  Budget of the House of Representatives was graciously approved by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA.

It is also worthy to note that in our political clime, to get approval for an award of a project and its facilitation cost lawmakers millions of Naira, weeks or months of lobbying, commitment,  boardroom politicking, follow-ups and  negotiations. In this regard, one qqcan  commend the honourable member representing Nkwerre/Isu/Nwangele/Njaba Federal Constituency, Chief Ugonna Ozurigbo, for demonstrating resilence, dexterity in leadership and political sagacity in attracting a number of projects across his Federal constituency.

As part of his avowed commitment to serve the people, when the contract was unduly delayed after being approved as  the contractor was taking almost forever to mobilize his men and materials to the project site, Chief Ugonna Ozurigbo swung into action; made follow-ups, engaged the necessary government agencies and got across the contractor to ask questions about the unnecessary delay. I was an eyewitness reporter. 

At this juncture, the traditional ruler of Abba Autonomous Community, His Royal Highness, Eze Ndubueze Maduchukwu (Uburu ll of Abba), and the President-General of Abba Autonomous Community, Engr. Kene Iwuogo, wrote the Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, around January, 2022,  expressing the community’s dismay and concern over the undue delay tactics by one Engr. Ralph Inas, who is the contractor handling the renovation of Abba Primary Health Centre, APHC. The detailed 7-paragraphs letter, which was addressed to the Executive Secretary, NPHCDA, was also copied to the following: 

Chairman,
House Committee on Health Institutions.
Chairman,

House Committee on Appropriation.

Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo, 
Member representing Nkwerre/Isu/Nwangele/Njaba Federal Constituency.

In all those season of lobbying, follow-up and Politicking, there was never a time anybody’s name was mentioned in the process until the project received a positive nod for execution: we started hearing that certain people in Abba contributed in facilitating the contract award. While this is not half truth, but we must learn to give honour to whom honour is due. 

However, after my early update about the renovation of Abba Primary Health Centre attracted by OZB, just like the one he did in Umuozu Community, which elicited postive comments with over 10,000 readership that eulogized the ‘Starboy Federal legislator’ for his effective representation and exemplary leadership. This appears to have generated some controversy. The sum of the argument is coming from keen observers and Abba people, who felt a bit slighted that a certain Lolo Uloma  Mbanaso, a Director at the Federal Ministry of Health, FCT, that played some role in attracting the said project was neither mentioned nor acknowledged in the report.

Admittedly, while Lolo Uloma Mbanaso might have made some good attempts 5 years ago and expressed concerns over the deplorable state of Abba Primary Health Centre, APHC, just like a number of Abba people especially, as a proud  daughter of Abba working with the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, the truth remains: there is a limit to what she can do to get the job done in practical terms; since she is neither a politician, elected Federal legislator nor a contractor,  but rather a career civil servant. 

From a reliable source, we learnt Lolo Mbanaso sometime in 2018 vigorously pushed to attract the renovation of Abba Primary Health Centre, but her efforts  might have been frustrated through political bureaucracy as she eventually  gave up. Don’t forget that the likes of High Chief Johnbosco Ozigbu, PhD, High  Chief Paul Ozigbu, Chief Joe Asole, Engr. Kene Iwuogo, Eze Ndubueze Maduchukwu, and a lot more Abba leaders at one point or the other also  expressed similar concern, but that was where it ended until our Federal lawmaker, Chief Ozurigbo Ugonna, used his good office to attract the ongoing  renovation, upgrading and equipping of Abba Primary Health Centre. Also it is important to note that, Hon. Uzomah Akogu, former Vice Chairman, Nwangele LGA, from Umudurunna Abba, was also among Abba sons, who pursued the award of this particular project having followed the laid down procurement processes and documentations. 

Another good news flickered-in  Thursday afternoon, as the Federal Legislator, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo, called to inform the Publisher of 4th Estate Reporters that a whopping sum of N17 Million had been approved for the equipping of Abba Primary Health Centre, APHC, Nwangele LGA, Imo State.

To this end, while we singularly eulogize and commend Hon. Ozurigbo Ugonna for this landmark achievement of the renovation of the largest Primary Health Centre in Abba, we must not fail to also recognize and appreciate the efforts made by Lolo Uloma Mbanaso and Abba women, whom we learnt were making plans to renovate the Primary Health Centre through collective efforts and individual contributions.

To Hon. Ozurigbo Ugonna, your hard work, personal sacrifices, follow-ups  and efforts on this Abba Primary Health Centre project have paid off! 

A commendation well deserved!An occasion worth celebrating!!
Abba shall soon become a destination centre for medical tourism in Nwangele LGA and across Orlu zone after the completion of the ongoing multi-million Naira primary health centre project.

Congratulations, to the good people of Abba Ama-Ano! 

–Njoku Macdonald Obinna, 

Media Consultant|PR-Expert, 
Publisher, 4th Estate Reporters.