RismadarVoice Reporters, March 4, 2026
Residents of Ohanku Ndoki in Ukwa East Local Government Area were in a celebratory mood at the weekend as Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, laid the foundation stone for an ultra-modern general hospital, the first of its kind in the community.
Governor Otti said the project fulfills his administration’s commitment to delivering quality healthcare services to all parts of the state, particularly underserved rural communities.
He noted that the hospital aligns with his vision of building a responsive and inclusive health system capable of addressing the needs of the people.
The Governor also expressed appreciation to the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Chibuzor Chinyere, for donating land for the project.
In his remarks, Eze Chibuzor Chinyere described the hospital project as a divine intervention for the people of Ukwa East, lamenting the poor state of healthcare facilities in the area.
“I am excited because God sent Governor Alex Otti to resurrect healthcare here. Healthcare in Ukwa East has been dead. We have a health centre, but it is not functional only cockroaches, rats and reptiles are inhabiting the place,” the monarch said.
He revealed that he donated 100 plots of land for the hospital project, land he initially acquired for a factory and other ventures, stressing that the lives of his people were more important.
“When I saw the need, I decided to give out 100 plots. This gesture is to secure the lives of my people. As the king, I believe that their lives are more important. Governor Otti has spent just two years in office imagine what will happen in the next six years to this community and the entire Abia State,” he added.
The royal father expressed optimism that the hospital would attract ancillary services and boost economic activities in the area.
“This is a general hospital and it will attract other services. Pharmacies will open, hotels will spring up, more houses will be built for rent. The hospital will bring transformation and life back to this community. Our youths are happy and they will protect the facility,” he said.
The member representing Ukwa East and West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Chris Nkwonta, commended the Governor for remembering the area with a major project. He stressed that development should transcend party lines.
“I am a member of the All Progressives Congress and Governor Otti is a member of the Labour Party. It is not about party affiliation, but about attracting development for the people. Whatever I can do to ensure that this project is completed and becomes operational, I will do,” Nkwonta said.
Also speaking, the Abia State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who hails from the area, expressed gratitude to the governor for the intervention.
The Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, disclosed that the community had long lacked adequate healthcare facilities.
“This area was without functional health facilities and when Governor Otti heard this, he made a firm promise to establish a world-class General Hospital here,” he said.
Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, also lauded the governor for prioritizing healthcare infrastructure above political considerations, noting that history would remember his administration favourably.
The hospital project is expected to significantly improve access to quality healthcare services in Ukwa East and stimulate socio-economic development in the host community.
