EBONYI STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL TO TAKE OFF WITH 100 CONSULTANTS—GOV NWIFURU
REPORTER: AMECHI ODO
Ebonyi State Government says it has spent over eleven billion naira for the procurement of medical equipment for the thirteen General Hospitals in the state.
Governor Francis Nwifuru stated this while interacting with members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NJU) and other groups who paid him Christmas Homage in his country house, Oferekpe in Izzi Local Government Area of the state.
He noted that four General Hospitals to be selected from the three senatorial zones of the state would be converted into specialist Hospitals and would be equipped with MRI and C.T Scan Machines for serious health cases.
Mr. Nwifuru said thirty three medical doctors had been engaged to add to the three that were in the employ of the state government before now.
The Governor noted that sports utility vehicles (SUVs) had been purchased for the doctors to enable them to discharge their duties effectively in the general hospitals.
The Governor pointed out that the Federal Government had agreed to demerge the State University Teaching Hospital with Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, emphasising that the Federal Government also promised to provide the State Teaching Hospital with 100 consultants for takeoff.
In the Education sector, Governor Nwifuru said the state government would select 100 teachers that would be sponsored for advance courses abroad and 300 to be trained in Nigerian Universities each year for improvement in the school system.
According to Governor Nwifuru, the state government will upgrade the facilities in two primary schools and Secondary schools to be selected from each Local Government Area.
He pointed out that he had banned the celebration of his birthday, noting that he could only be celebrated after he must have transformed the state at the end of his tenure.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, made this known in a statement made available to journalists in Awka.
Radio Nigeria learnt that the deceased policemen were from the Enugu State Police Command and were attached to a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and indigene of Uga, Chief Chris Uba.
Chief Uba was said to have escaped because he was in a bullet proof vehicle.
According to the statement by the PPRO “the gang which disguised in military fatigue and seemed to be on a kidnap mission were jolted on seeing two armed Police officers approaching their direction.
“They opened fire on the officers who had moved ahead of the convoy they were escorting to decongest traffic gridlock along the Umunze- Umuchu- Uga road.
“Other personnel returned fire, careful not to hit many motorists who were in traffic, forcing the bandits to flee.”
The statement says Police-led mobile Forward Operating Base which had been on intensive patrol of the entire area throughout Christmas celebration promptly responded to the scene.
“The operative recovered a Lexus SUV the gang operated with and defused an improvised explosive device found in the vehicle.
“It also recovered an AK-47 Riffle belonging to one of the slain personnel.
The Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye who had declared weekend and Christmas holidays as special working days for all officers and men in the Command commended all personnel for their tireless and courageous effort in securing the people of Anambra State,” the statement read.
The statement further said that the Police Commissioner urged his personnel not to be demoralized by the supreme prize paid by their colleagues from Enugu State Command but to draw inspiration from their bravery in confronting the criminal gang.
The Statement condoled with the families of the deceased officers and the Enugu State Police Command and vowed that the personnel would not die in vain.
It assured that technology would be deployed to track down the criminals who unleashed the attack on Police personnel and encouraged the good people not to allow the incident to create fear in their minds but to continue with various activities they had slated for the yuletide season.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
