…Names Facility After Pro-Democracy Icon Chima Ubani

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has commissioned the newly completed 80-bed Obingwa General Hospital, declaring that the facility will expand access to quality healthcare while setting a new standard for modern, technology-driven medical services in the state.
Otti, who spoke at the commissioning ceremony said his administration had consistently allocated 15 per cent of the state’s annual budget to the health sector over the past three years, in recognition of healthcare as a critical foundation for human development and economic prosperity.

He said the administration’s investment in healthcare had helped restore public confidence in health institutions and contributed to saving lives, particularly those of mothers and newborns.
The governor said the newly commissioned hospital was designed to provide secondary healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of residents of Obingwa Local Government Area and neighbouring communities.

According to him, the facility represents a new paradigm in healthcare delivery, incorporating technology, renewable energy and elements of the natural environment into patient care.
He highlighted the hospital’s healing garden, technology-driven data management system and real-time inter-facility collaboration as features designed to improve patient recovery and efficiency.
Otti added that critical medical procedures, including laboratory analysis and scans, would be supported by technology to enhance the accuracy and reliability of diagnosis.
The governor noted that the facility was equipped with a theatre, eye-care unit and observation rooms fitted with modern medical equipment to support delicate procedures, restoration of body functions and complete recovery.

He also disclosed that the hospital’s renewable energy system was designed to provide uninterrupted electricity supply, including during adverse weather conditions.
Otti commended the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, and the project team for delivering the facility, stressing that the government would not allow the investment to become another abandoned or poorly managed public project.
He said community leaders had been incorporated into the hospital’s operational framework through a Community Healthcare Oversight Team, which would work with the State Ministry of Health to prevent vandalism, truancy and other forms of sabotage.
The governor directed that the hospital must remain operational day and night, with regular supplies of quality drugs and medical consumables, insisting that patients must receive appropriate attention irrespective of their social or economic status.

He warned that any attempt to vandalise the facility would be treated as a direct attack on the state and dealt with according to the law.
“What has been invested here is taxpayers’ money and every kobo of it must yield commensurate value to the people,” Otti said, adding that his administration would continue to monitor the hospital’s service standards and performance.

The governor also directed relevant authorities to prioritise continuous capacity development for healthcare workers to ensure that the state derives optimal value from its investments in the sector.

In a major highlight of the ceremony, Governor Otti announced that the hospital would bear the name of late pro-democracy activist and prominent Abia son, Comrade Chima Ubani, in recognition of his contributions to democracy, human rights and the struggle for a better society.
Otti described Ubani as a “martyr of the masses,” recalling his leadership role in the pro-democracy movement and campaigns against military dictatorship, repressive economic policies and social injustice.

He said Ubani, who served as Students’ Union President at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and later as Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation, lived a life defined by courage, compassion and service to humanity.
According to him, although Ubani died in a tragic accident on September 21, 2005, his legacy of defending the common man and pursuing justice remained enduring.
The governor said naming the hospital after Ubani was not merely an honour but also a reminder to present and future generations that individuals could earn lasting recognition through courage, compassion and selfless service.

Otti also paid tribute to Ubani’s widow, Mrs Ochuwa Ubani, and their four children, Adaoha, Eyeoma, Ekene and Okoro, assuring the family that the Abia State Government would continue to provide modest support in honour of the late activist’s memory.
He commended members of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Campaign for Democracy and other pro-democracy activists for preserving Ubani’s legacy and continuing the struggle for a society responsive to the aspirations of the people.
The governor said the newly commissioned hospital would therefore serve not only as a healthcare institution but also as an enduring monument to development, good governance, courage, compassion and faith in humanity.

In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, said the 80-bed General Hospital is a demonstration that Governor Otti is building a future-ready healthcare system in Abia State.He disclosed that within three years in office, Governor Otti is carrying out a total of 301 infrastructural projects in health, with 277 Primary Health Centres being built and equipped to the standard set by the Governor. He said the facility is a digital hospital and that women in labour at various PHCs can be linked to it.“Obingwa has received more than a fair share of these projects, including 18 primary health centres, 13 of them under Project Ekwueme and five under Impact project,” Prof. Uche stated.

As Abia State prepares to mark its 35th anniversary, the administration of Governor Alex Otti has unveiled a fresh package of interventions spanning healthcare, housing, infrastructure, human capital development and technology, reaffirming its resolve to mark the milestone with projects that deliver tangible benefits to residents rather than ceremonies alone.

The decisions were announced following the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Otti.This include the deployment of technology to track high-risk pregnancies, the expansion of functional Primary Healthcare Centres, recruitment of additional healthcare professionals, rehabilitation of housing estates and the development of a new pocket housing scheme in Umuahia.

The administration said the 35th anniversary would be used to commission completed projects and flag off new ones across the State, describing the approach as a deliberate departure from the traditional celebration of state anniversaries through ceremonies and awards.
Governor Otti’s administration maintained that the best way to celebrate Abia is by delivering projects that improve the lives of its people.

At the centre of the healthcare interventions is Cytrack, a locally developed digital application being piloted by the Ministry of Health to identify and monitor high-risk pregnancies across the State.
The technology is particularly designed to support teenage pregnancies, women without supervised antenatal care and expectant mothers at risk of delivering without skilled birth attendants.

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Cytrack captures essential demographic and pregnancy information, including age and last menstrual period, enabling health officials to determine expected delivery dates, monitor antenatal appointments and maintain contact with pregnant women throughout pregnancy and delivery.
The application also sends reminders to pregnant women, while responsible adults in communities can help ensure that high-risk expectant mothers attend scheduled antenatal appointments.

The technology has already been used by health workers to monitor several teenage pregnancies and facilitate safe deliveries at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, providing a practical demonstration of how digital innovation can be deployed to address real healthcare challenges.

The State Government also announced that Abia has emerged as Nigeria’s number one state in healthcare affordability and among the top three states in healthcare quality, according to the latest Philips Consulting State Performance Index.
Abia was also reported as the only state to achieve top-three positions in 13 of 16 indicators of good governance based on citizens’ perception, reinforcing the administration’s claim of measurable progress across multiple sectors.

At the grassroots level, the first 50 functionalised Primary Healthcare Centres accounted for more than 20 per cent of the over 1.067 million outpatient visits recorded across the State between July 2025 and June 2026.
With three additional PHCs functionalised between July 27 and August 10, the number of functionalised Primary Healthcare Centres in Abia has now risen to 151.

Similarly, enrolment in the Abia State Health Insurance Scheme increased from 233,000 to 237,000 beneficiaries between July 27 and August 7, 2026.
The administration also commended the Abiriba Community Improvement Union, North America Chapter, for pledging to sponsor 1,000 indigent persons under the State Health Insurance Scheme, urging other communities and organisations to emulate the initiative.
The State recorded no outbreak of major public-health diseases during the period under review, including Ebola, Lassa fever, COVID-19, diphtheria, cholera, mpox and yellow fever.

To strengthen the healthcare workforce, the State Civil Service Commission is commencing another round of recruitment of medical professionals.
The exercise follows the employment of 742 medical personnel by the Otti administration so far.
The new recruitment will focus on medical officers, dental officers and consultants, including full-time and part-time consultants, with the application portal scheduled to open on Monday night, August 10.

Beyond healthcare, the State Executive Council has directed the Ministry of Housing to sanitise and rehabilitate the World Bank Housing Estate at Abayi Umuocham, Aba, following concerns over the deteriorating condition of the estate.
The intervention will cover roads and other infrastructure, alongside remedial works aimed at restoring the estate and improving the living environment of residents.
An inspection of the estate revealed various forms of misuse and neglect, including street trading and farming along estate roads.

The government said the rehabilitation would include road improvements and street lighting, while activities contributing to the deterioration of the estate, particularly trading and farming along roads, would no longer be tolerated.

The Ministry of Housing will also collaborate with the Ministry of Works to undertake rainy-season maintenance works at Amaoba Housing Estate, Umuahia, pending the permanent reconstruction of the estate roads.
The State Government has equally provided a new transformer to alleviate electricity challenges confronting residents of the estate.

The proposed Pocket Housing Layout in Umuahia is also progressing, with the State planning to provide different categories of quality residential accommodation.
The scheme will comprise detached five-bedroom houses with boys’ quarters, semi-detached houses, and two- and three-bedroom blocks of flats.
Registration of intending subscribers will commence through an Expression of Interest process, followed by the opening of a dedicated payment portal.

The government said the scheme would operate on a transparent, first-come, first-served basis, with an off-plan payment structure requiring 30 per cent at the commencement of construction, 40 per cent around the midpoint and the remaining 30 per cent upon completion.
Contractors are expected to mobilise to site within the next week, with the government targeting completion within the next few months after flag-off.
The first occupants are expected to take possession of the houses by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

As Abia marks 35 years of state creation, the Otti administration said the anniversary would serve as a platform for commissioning completed projects and flagging off new ones across the State.
Rather than focusing primarily on celebrations, the government said the occasion would demonstrate the transformation taking place across Abia through investments in healthcare, housing, infrastructure, human capital development and technology-driven public services.
The administration said the emerging picture is that of a “New Abia” being built through practical interventions capable of delivering measurable value to the people.
The projects and reforms, it added, reflect Governor Otti’s determination to build a healthier, better-planned, more prosperous and more liveable Abia, while using the State’s 35th anniversary to demonstrate that development is best celebrated through tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.

Governor Alex Otti has attributed Abia State’s emergence as Nigeria’s third most improved state in the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index to his administration’s strategic investments in healthcare, education, infrastructure.
Also his governance and the growing collaboration with the Federal Government, including the recent visit of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Speaking during the July edition of his monthly media chat at the Government House, Umuahia, Governor Otti described the latest ranking as a clear validation of his administration’s reforms.

The Governor said the progress reflects the positive impact of government policies on the lives of Abians.
The first Abia citizen noted that Abia has made one of the most remarkable improvements in the country’s performance ranking, rising from 36th position in 2024 to 10th in 2025, and now 3rd in the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index, behind only Enugu and Jigawa States.

Governor Otti said the state’s transformation has been driven by sustained investments in critical sectors, particularly healthcare, education, infrastructure, land administration and economic development.

Highlighting achievements in the health sector, he disclosed that Abia recorded one of Nigeria’s best performances in reducing maternal and infant mortality in the first quarter of 2026, while enrolment into the Abia State Health Insurance Scheme continues to increase.

According to him, 144 of the state’s 200 Primary Healthcare Centres have been fully functionalised, while 77 additional health facilities renovated through the World Bank intervention have also been completed, with about 30 more centres expected to become operational soon.

On transportation and infrastructure, Governor Otti announced that the state has received 20 additional electric buses, which would operate on routes including Umuahia–Bende–Arochukwu, Umuahia–Uturu (ABSU), Umuahia–Umudike–Ikwuano, Aba–Owerri and Aba–Ukwa. He added that surveillance systems have been installed in the buses to ensure accountability and improve service delivery.

The Governor further disclosed that work is progressing steadily on the Aba Bus Terminal, while the first phase of the Ekeoma Market remodelling has been completed and would soon be commissioned.
In the area of land administration, Governor Otti said the government has issued 4,923 Certificates of Occupancy within three years, with nearly 1,000 processed this year alone, adding that the completion of the state’s digital mapping project in partnership with UN-Habitat would usher in a fully digitised land administration system that would eliminate fraudulent land transactions and speed up property documentation.

On education, he said the administration’s Smart School initiative is gathering momentum with two Smart Schools already commissioned out of the planned twenty, assuring that the remaining eighteen schools would be completed soon.
“The idea is to expose our children to modern technology from an early stage,” the Governor stated.
Addressing ongoing infrastructure projects, Governor Otti acknowledged that the rainy season has slowed the pace of road construction but assured residents that work continues across major project sites. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending flooding through the construction of durable drainage infrastructure.

Responding to concerns over rising rents in Umuahia and Aba, the Governor attributed the increase to growing demand for accommodation and announced that the government would soon commence the Pocket Layout Housing Project in Umuahia to bridge the housing deficit.
Governor Otti described the recent visit of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as a major boost to Abia’s creative economy. He revealed that a dedicated bank account has been opened for the Akwete Cloth Production Hub, while the First Lady has authorised the release of the funds she pledged to support the Akwete women’s weaving initiative.
He urged residents to promote indigenous industries by patronising and wearing the locally woven Akwete fabric.

The Governor also commended residents for embracing environmental sanitation, urged them to sustain the culture of cleanliness, praised security agencies for maintaining peace across the state and congratulated the Commissioner of Police on his promotion to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG).