Emeka Nwajiuba, Sen Frank Ibeziem to commission Umuanunu Health Centre water scheme Sunday

Efforts at making the ultra modern Umuanunu Nsu Health Centre more functional and more responsive to the health needs of the community will gain greater heights tomorrow, June 16, 2024 when the centre’s water scheme will be commissioned. The commissioning of the Umuanunu Nsu Health Centre water scheme will be performed by Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Education and Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress in the 2023 general election Hon Emeka Nwajiuba. A member of the senate in the 9^th National Assembly Senator Frank Ibeziem will be assisting Hon Nwajiuba in performing the commissioning of the water project.

President General of Umuanunu Nsu Welfare Association Hon Chijioke Ogbonna who confirmed these in a statement said that all is set for the commissioning of the water scheme which he described as an important project in the overall efforts at making the ultra modern Umuanunu Nsu Health Centre more functional. The health centre itself was dedicated on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

The Umuanunu Nsu Health Centre is a hybrid compact health centre designed to take care of the primary health care needs of the community. Equipped with the basic facilities of a health care centre including independent power supply, Umuanunu Nsu Health Centre is structured to serve as a holding treatment and referral unit in the event of patients requiring of hospital and subsequent specialist treatment. Umuanunu Nsu Health Centre which is the first of its kind in the locality was sponsored by the Primary Health Care Development Agency. The project was initiated in 2018 by Honourable Chike Okafor, the then Member representing Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Former Imo State Commissioner for Health Dr (Mrs) Damaris Osunkwo who is from Ahiazu Mbaise  and the then Member representing Ehime Mbano at the Imo State House of Assemble are among dignitaries who graced the commissioning of the project in 2022. Hon  Chijioke Ogbonna had then described the opening of the centre as a landmark development in the area considering the long years of neglect suffered by the community saying that Umuanunu Nsu have long desired the presence of either Imo State or Federal Government in terms of infrastructural development and upgrade of quality of life of the people.

He had revealed then that prominent Umuanunu Nsu sons and daughters as well as well wishers have pledged their participation beyond the commissioning of the project hence his appeal to donor agencies both at federal and international levels including the World Health Organization to extend assistance to the health centre.

Hon Ogbonna declared that the event of the commissioning of the health centre water scheme on Sunday June 16, 2024 will wear all the gabs of a historic occasion to the extent that agents of government and representative of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have been invited to grace the occasion. Cultural troupes from the community he said have perfected their rehearsals ahead of the opening ceremony. He therefore appealed to the good people of Umuanunu Nsu to be prepared to displace their usual hospitality in terms of playing hosts to guests.

The delay in the completion and commissioning of the water supply to the health centre was consequent upon the difficulties associated with identifying  underground deep water table at the site of the health centre due mainly to challenges of topography. Cheeringly enough, some philanthropists in the community opted to drilling for water far away from the site and had to sponsor the laying of pipes from the source of the water to the health centre. The project was complemented with adequate overhead water thanks and re-enforced with additional pumping machines.

It would be recalled that Senator Frank Ibeziem made an initial donation of N1.5 million towards the actualization of the water project. This was quickly followed by Dr Nneka Onwu nee Ebizie’s N1 million donation. Dr Anaele Ebizie acted as a catalyst in mobilizing Umuanunu sons and daughters especially those in the Diaspora in raising the over N11 million required for the project. Dr Anaele Ebizie who coordinated the project had kind words for all the donors specially Umuanunu Nsu daughters who include Barr Ijeoma Ofoegbu nee Ebizie, Dr Afoma Nwagwu nee Ozoji and Mrs Celine Edomobi nee Ibeanusi among others for their generous donations.