President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate refurbishing of the Okundi Community Healthcare Centre in Boki LGA of Cross River State 57 years after.
It was built by Nigeria’s former foreign minister, late Chief Matthew T. Mbu in 1961 and handed over to the government of then Eastern Region.
The acting executive secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund, Mallam Bello said the president had directed that the agency should use the proceeds of the lottery to refurbish and equip the health centre to enable the people access it instead of allowing it to waste.
Bello said, “The exercise of equipping this hospital with critical medical facilities through funding from the national lottery is a clear demonstration of the federal government’s desire to foster better inclusion of the most vulnerable segments of our society, especially women and children. We are confident this special intervention will assist this community to address its immediate medical needs..”
He said that Okundi was the 5th community in Nigeria to receive this type of special intervention, adding that the reason for this was not farfetched.
To enable the federal government continue to intervene in such and other areas, Bello impressed on lottery, gaming operators, permit holders, licenses and indeed business promoters who engage in one form of promotional lottery or the other to keep to their obligations of remitting 20% lottery proceeds directly to the Trust Funds as required by law.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fund, Christopher Eta said, “I am highly elated today because these vital equipment will provide an opportunity for the Okundi people and nearby communities who cannot afford exorbitant fees in private hospitals to now access these vital services…”
Secretary to the government of the federation, Mr Boss Mustapha who was represented by Chief William All, the permanent secretary, special duties office, expressed happiness for enduring that the exercise of equipping our primary health care institutions with graded and customised healthcare equipment was now a reality.
He extolled the progress made by the National Lottery Trust Fund, saying there are huge potentials of lottery as a wealth generator. He cited examples where in most part of the developed world nowadays, proceeds from lottery were being used to finance major projects.
HRM Chief Francis Abang Otu (KSJ), the traditional ruler of Okundi community was in attendance.
Gov Ben Ayade represented by the commissioner for heslth, Inyang Asibong at the event said as a result of his government deep commitment to community health, the Cross River Primary Healthcare Development Agency was established, adding that so far the agency was impacting much.
Some of the equipment donated at the refurbished health centres include ultra modern xray and scan machines, sound detectors and ten beds and beddings, etc.
