COVID-19: UNVEILING PROF. HENRY UGBOMA; A VISIONARY AND COMMITTED LEADER.AS EZE EXPOSES HIS HEALTH PROGRAMME FOR RIVERS STATE

“Revive Amaechi's Hospitals, Healthcare Centres”…. Eze Charges Wike

….. Lauds Ugboma, UPTH CMD Over 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 people of Rivers.

… 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.

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.

The purported and over-emphasized fight against Convid-19 by  the Rivers state government, is more of a mockery of the genuine commitments and efforts of spirited individuals, Non-Governmental Organizations and corporate bodies who have made gratuitous donations of flamboyant nature to end the ravaging global pandemic in the state.

Making this assertion is a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.

According to Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, “the healthcare system in the state is already overwhelmed and thus, poses 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 counseled the Governor to expediently, conclude plans to speedily, revisit the very many hospitals and other health facilities built by the former Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi that are scattered across the state.

“It is shameful, sad and unfortunate, the sorry condition of most of these Hospitals; constructed and equipped by the administration of Amaechi. They were the envy of most states in Nigeria then but unfortunately, have been under lock and key since Wike assumed office in 2015. He succeeded in turning these hospitals to a hunting ground for local hunters and hideouts for crimes”, the APC chieftain lamented.

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 become beggarly, 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 administration”. Eze said.

In a statement made available to media houses on Wednesday, the party chieftain expressed his happiness; not minding the lack of vision by the Wike administration to improve on what Amaechi achieved for the State in health and other sectors, that God, in his Infinite Mercy, decided to bless the State with another visionary leader, Prof. Henry Ugboma.

Eze stressed that Prof. 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 unassuming and great leader who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on 31 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 Gynecologist with the University and the Hospital respectively”, Eze pointed out.

“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 and concern to eradicate the deadly virus in Rivers State capitalized on the visit of the SPDC Management to the hospital, to request for help in this regard”, Eze revealed.

"SPDC visited UPTH to know how they can partner with the hospital and 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”.

Chief Eze further revealed that, information available to him indicates that the 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 cannot fathom.

“This machine that would have gone a long way to make the State COVID-19 free cannot be installed. As much as I hail SHELL Plc for the 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 appealed with those causing obstruction for the installation of this all-important testing machine, to stop playing politics with the lives of our people particularly now that over 100s of tests are with the UPTH centers for testing and confirmation.

“Not minding the obstacles placed on the path of the indefatigable, capacity and reputable CMD of the hospital, by the Rivers State Government, Prof. Henry Ugboma and his Management Team has 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.

Chief Eze commended and congratulated the Federal Government for all the support given to the authority of the Teaching Hospital to excel and described 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.

“Instead of collaborating with this enigma, who is desirous to secure the lives of our people, Governor Wike, shockingly, in a state wide broadcast on Monday preferred to threaten the innocent, amiable and peaceable Chief Medical Director of University of Port Teaching Hospital. Wike is set to punish the innocent people of the state and has 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 revealed that, the Governor stated in his state broadcast, said; "We have cause to sternly warn the Chief Medical Director of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Professor Henry Ugboma, to stop politicizing 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 cautioned 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 counseled 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 the installation of the testing machine procured for UPTH, accordingly, without any further delay, Eze pleaded.

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 his conclusion, Eze charged security agencies to ramp up watch over Prof Ugboma and ensure that no harm in any form should touch him for any reason whatsoever.