… Lauds Ugboma, UPTH CMD, for visionary management of hospital
… Charges security agencies to ramp up watch over Ugboma, says no harm should touch him
… Commends SPDC for keeping faith with Rivers people
The poor handling of the global pandemic in Rivers state and especially, the continued politicization and deceptive approach adopted by the Rivers State government in the entire process has been a of source growing concern to interest groups and people of goodwill.
Describing the purported and overemphasised fight against Convid-19 by the Rivers state government as a mockery of the genuine commitments and efforts of spirited individuals, Non-Governmental Organisations and corporate bodies who have made gratuitous donations of flamboyant nature to end the ravaging global pandemic in the state, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said the healthcare system in the state is already overwhelmed and thus, poses a great danger to public health owing to the massive negligence the sector has suffered under the Wike-led administration.
Decrying the level of decay in health infrastructure as embarrassing to a state in the status of Rivers, Eze counselled the governor to expediently conclude plans to speedily revisit the very many hospitals and other health facilities built by former governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and scattered across the state.
It is a shame, sad and unfortunate the sorry condition of the most of these Hospitals constructed and equipped by the administration of Amaechi that were the envy of most States in Nigeria then but have been under lock and key since Wike assumed office in 2015 and succeeded in turning these hospitals to a hunting ground for local hunters and hideouts for crimes. Amaechi according to Eze envisaged and planned Rivers State to be the India of Nigeria and Centre of Excellence in terms of provision of quality health services to Nigerians but sadly under Wike the State has been turned to a State begging for help health-wise.
“The hospitals, health facilities and other sundry investments of the Transportation Minister when he was Rivers Governor are enough to transform the state into a health tourism and attraction centre if Wike has not played politics with facilities provided by the Amaechi’s adminstration. Eze said.
In a statement made available to media houses, the party chieftain expressed happiness not minding the lack of vision by the Wike adminstration to improve on what Amaechi achieved for the State in health and other sectors, God in his infinite mercy decided to bless the State with another visionary leader, Prof. Henry Ugboma whose professional and intelligent management of affairs at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) as the Chief Medical Director, is a thing of joy to all good people of Rivers State particularly now that the people are in dire need of help occasioned by the challenges of the dreadful COVID 19 Pandemic.
The party chieftain said the commitment and sense of public service displayed by Prof. Ugboma, especially during this trying period has distinguished him in the medical profession and penciled him as a competent public servant.
Eze went further to highlight that Prof Henry Ugboma is an assuming and great leader who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on 31st December 2017 as the Chief Medical Director (GMD) of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. He has turned the fortunes of this great Federal Institution around since his appointment. Before his appointment as the CMD UPTH, he was a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with the University and the Hospital respectively.
On assumption of office he ensured that he worked with the best brains in the hospital in order to ensure that his transformation agenda was successful. The Hospital under his watch has become a centre of excellence and a Referral Centre.
Prof Ugboma in demonstration of his love, concern to eradicate the deadly virus in Rivers State capitalised on the visit of SPDC Management to the hospital to request for help in this regard.
“SPDC visited UPTH to know how they can partner with the hospital, the CMD, Prof Henry Ugboma, owing to his love for Rivers people requested for the covid-19 test machine which SPDC accepted and paid for it. Information available to me indicates that SPDC has delivered this machine but some forces in the State are trying to disrupt its installation in order to continue to endanger the lives of the good people of Rivers State for reasons one cant fathom. This machine that would have gone a long way to make the State covid19 free can’t be installed. As much as I hail SHELL for their numerous contributions towards the fight against the ravaging virus in the region particularly for ensuring the purchase of this testing machine, efforts should be made to retrieve and install it accordingly.
Eze pleads with those causing obstruction for the installation of all this important testing machine to stop playing politics with the lives of our people particularly now that over 100s of tests have been dropped already with UPTH centers for testing and confirmation.
Not minding all the obstacles put on the path of the indefatigable, capacity, and reputable CMD of the hospital, Prof. Herny A. A. Ugboma and his Management Team by the Rivers State Government have successfully commissioned her fully equipped COVID-19 Isolation/Treatment Center on 5th May 2020 with all the necessary required equipment needed to fight the pandemic and with highly professional Medical Teams on ground.
Eze commends and congratulates the Federal Government for all the supports given to the authority of the Teaching Hospital to excel and describes the opening of the Second UPTH Isolation/test Center, mostly for COVID-19 patients as commendable and historical.
Eze went further to highlight that Prof. Henry Ugboma on Saturday, May 2, 2020, as a guest on Rhythm 93.7 FM, Port Harcourt phone-in programme, viewpoint spoke extensively on Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) and the efforts on ground to contain its spread and instead of collaborating with this enigma who is desirous to secure the lives of our people, shockingly Governor Wike in a statewide broadcast on Monday preferred to threaten the innocent, amiable and peaceable Chief Medical Director of University of Port Teaching Hospital and to punish the innocent people of the State the governor declared a total lockdown of Port Harcourt City and Abio/Akpor on Monday, May 4, 2020, to commence from 7th May 2020 without any sympathy or strategy to ameliorate the suffering of the Rivers State people residing in these two important Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Eze according to the Governor stated in the state broadcast: “We have cause to sternly warn the Chief Medical Director of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Professor Henry Ugboma, to stop politicising the issue of coronavirus in the state with his rascally, irresponsible and ill-motivated utterances. This government is focused and therefore will not allow itself to be distracted in its battle against COVID-19. However, we will neither tolerate nor hesitate to deal with anyone who dares to rubbish the hard work and the sacrifice we are all making to save lives in our state, just to advance parochial partisan interests.”
Eze threw caution at Wike to desist from issuing unnecessary threats to such a great son of Rivers State, whose pragmatic approach towards managing the pandemic in the state has pictured him as having the best of intentions for Rivers people.
Expressing uncertainty over the genuineness of the lockdown order of the governor on Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor which takes effect Thursday, The party chief counselled Wike to revisit his proclamation if it is intended to deny Rivers people the opportunity of being tested with the machine acquired and donated to UPTH by SPDC to curb the pandemic for the good of Rivers people when installed.
Furthermore, Chief Eze Commended the Management team of Shell for displaying commendable interest in the welfare of Rivers people especially, the 1billion Naira donation it made to the state to strengthen the fight against Covid-19 but urged it to ensure that the testing machine procured for UPTH is installed accordingly without any further delay, Eze pleads.
He, however, appealed to people of goodwill and companies operating within the state to continue to contribute to proper channels to help curb and contain the virus.
In conclusion, Eze charges security agencies to ramp up watch over Prof Ugboma and ensure that no harm in any form should touch him for any reason whatsoever.
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