BY JENNIFER JOHN / OWERRI
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Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, yesterday commissioned the Oguta modern General Hospital, built by his administration through the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC)
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Uzodimma named the state of the art Hospital equipped with medical equipment after the Late Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe former political enigma of Imo State, Nigeria and Africa who hailed from the area, Oguta Ameshi.
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Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Governor Uzodimma said, “We are here to commission this 42-bed hospital, built through the 13 percent oil derivation allocation to Imo State, for the oil producing communities. We have named this hospital after our late great leader, great politician, a philanthropist of note. A man who carved the road for most of us to follow.”
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Uzodimma regretted that 24 years since 1999 when thirteen perfect allocation for oil producing communities was provided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there is nothing to show for the allocation with successive governments that had come and gone.
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The governor said the oil producing areas were given bad names, with the indigenes blackmailed as violent, never do wells, while the governments did not bother to find out the root causes of the indiscipline and violent posture of the youths of the areas.
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“When I became the governor in 2020, I vowed that the narrative must change, as we must carry our young men and women along. And the only way we can provide a welfare package is by teaching our people how to fish and not dashing them fish.”
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According to him, his administration did a comprehensive assessment and was able to establish the infrastructural deficit as regards to those things that could help to elongate the lives of the people, hence the building and equipping of the hospital to provide the people access to quality medicare.
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He promised that his government would ensure that henceforth, the 13 percent derivation would be used for the good of the people it is meant for.
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Uzodimma charged the traditional rulers, town union executives and all stakeholders to ensure security of the equipment in the hospital.
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He also charged the doctors and all health workers employed in the facility to be committed in serving the people.
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Further, the governor called on the youths of Oguta Local Government Area to shun all forms of violence which would give them bad name.
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“If you show Nigerians that you took time to go to school, that you have certificates; Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Robotic Engineering, Electrical Electronics. That you parade good number of Doctorate Degree holders and Professors, then the Nigerian Government will know that we have a population that is employable, but if you allow carelessness to make them think that you have nothing to offer, it will be difficult to meet up with the expectations of reasonable thinkers”, Uzodimma concluded.
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