Asata Patriots Association Builds Healthcare Centre

OLISEMEKA OBI

Asata Patriots Association, a community based social group based in the Asata area of Enugu, has commenced the expansion of the Asata Maternity and Health Centre by building additional blocks to accommodate the increasing demand on the centre. 

Revealing this to newsmen through was the Coordinator of the group, Mr. Paul Nwachukwu, a South Africa-based ex-footballer. 

Mr. Nwachukwu noted that the Maternity expansion project is just one of the many initiatives of the association towards the improvement of the lives of inhabitants of the Asata axis of Enugu. 
According to him, “We aim at enhancing the quality of lives around our place of birth because there are still a lot of people who still depend on Public Health facilities”. 

Going down the past, the Coordinator recounted other projects already carried out by the association, popularly called Asata Forum, to include the donation of branded text books and school desks to all the Primary schools in Asata in 2017 and organising a quiz and spelling bee competitions to all the Primary schools in Asata in 2018.

“Our vision is centred on supporting people and touching lives with education as a cardinal target which is why we do a lot of educational empowerment initiatives. Unlike most other associations like ours who pay more emphasis of social gathering, Asata Forum is more about changing lives. This is evident in our having a project coordinator in the person of Mr. Joe Omeke, under whose supervision we have carried all our initiatives” he noted.

The Asata Patriots Association, which was formed in 2017, was heralded with a novelty match between the Nigerian based and abroad based members. The match was followed by the Asata Reunion 2017 Gala Nite. Mr. Nwachukwu highlighted that the membership of the Association has a multi ethnic, social and religious background which is the hallmark of the average Enugu township community. 
“Though Enugu has a large population of none Igbos but the Asata area hosts the presence of lot of Northerners because of the location of the popular Artisans Market in Asata but we have all lived in peace because we see ourselves as one”. 

According to him, the Forum has gone a long way in reconnecting all the ‘Asata Brought Ups’ in every part of the world. He noted that though many of the members are not indigenes of Enugu State but the common affinity is the shared childhood. “Many of us have grown and scattered all over the world but we always remember our land of birth and our growing up days. The Forum now helps us to trace out our childhood friends and offer support to them where needed as well as help the community that raised us” he added.    

Mr Nwachukwu appreciated the great contributions of the members which included but not limited to Onowukenge, Ugo Ibekwe, Engr Tega, Mazi Aniche Abba, Obiora Okereke, Obi Onwuakpa, Mrs. Linda Anyaduba, Chief Mike Onyia, Deacon Chuka Obuekwe, Rev Fr. Ambrose Ofordile, Bishop Chukwumaife, Uwa Ogbodo, Ebuka Ogbu, Rev. Fr. Dieme, Engr. Enemuo and many others.

He concluded by noting that the focus of the association will once more revert to educational projects once the Health Centre project is completed.