In Defence of Amaku: Soludo’s Faith Is Personal, Not Just Political

Sadly, the claim that Governor Soludo lacks faith in our public health system is not true.

I did not hear this. I saw it firsthand.

The Governor’s late father received all his health checks at Amaku General Hospital, and it was there that he passed on at the ripe age of 92. Let us be clear: a Soludo could certainly afford healthcare abroad for his father he loved and cherished so much. The choice to stay at Amaku was deliberate.

The day I accompanied the Governor to view his father at Amaku, I will never forget the reaction of hospital staff and patients. The quips were the same: awe that a Governor’s father was being attended to in that facility. To them, it was unusual. To Soludo, it was normal.

That is Governor Soludo expressing faith in the capacity of Amaku.

This does not mean our public hospitals are perfect. Dr. Ojukwu reserves every right to ask for improved services, better equipment, and more resources. That is advocacy. But it is not, and must not be framed as, a vote of no confidence in the entire system.

I speak from personal experience too. As a public servant, I have been treated at Amaku. The care was real, the staff were committed, and the facility delivered.

If anything, what Dr. Ojukwu is doing is being an Oliver Twist — asking for more, because more is possible. And that is how we build.

We improve what we believe in. We do not abandon it.

— Mazi Ejimofor Opara