Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The lawmaker representing Ezza South/Ikwo South Federal Constituency, Chinedu Ogah, has recounted his experiences in prison when he spent six months for an offence he knew nothing about.
The lawmaker stated this when he visited the Abakaliki Correctional Centre where he underwent the ordeal.
He however did not disclose the crime he was accused of or the year of his incarceration.
Ogah, during the visit encouraged the inmates not to allow their current situation weigh them down.
He said: ‘Being here does not mean that your own has finished. It is a moment of trial, it is for you to redefine your future. I was once here for six months for an offence I knew nothing about. But when I came in here, I learned a lot of things and I made new friends. This place made me to understand different kinds of offences.
“I am here to encourage you not to be depressed, but have a forgiving spirit. Mandela was in the prison for many years and came out to become the president of South Africa; most of the great leaders you know today, were once in the prison.
“I was here for an offence I knew nothing about, but when I came out, I became a great person. It is good to have a history, you need to change to become a great person, just tell yourself the truth and work for a better future,” he said.
The visit to the facility was part of activities marking the Lawmaker’s 46th birthday.
The federal lawmaker, who was accompanied by his massive admirers and supporters, visited the centre of the menial job seekers, popularly known as Okpoku-Ndu-Oru, opposite Pa Ngele Oruta township, Abakaliki, where he distributed food, cash and other gifts to them.
He also visited the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FAE-FUTHA) where he offset the bills of indigent patients.
The total amount he paid for the 26 patients was three million, five hundred and ninety-six thousand (N3,596,000) in partnership with the hospital management.
The federal lawmaker also visited the old peoples’ home, located at Alo street, the motherless babies home at Nsugbe.
At the hospital the Lawmaker lamented how he lost his first son due to lack of oxygen.
He therefore promised to help the hospital attract more advanced medical equipments that will help the hospital save lives.
He said: “We are here today to contribute a little to help some patients who are unable to cater for their treatments. We have a list of some patients and their bills are about N4. something million.
“But the CMD, in partnership with us, gave us a discount and we are paying N3,596,000 (three million five hundred and ninety six thousand). We have eleven patients in FETHA 1 and fifteen patients in FETHA 2. Among these people, their bills are within 53 to 300 thousand. All the bills are hereby paid for.
“We want to assure you that being a member and committee member in health services at the national level, I want to assure you that I will bring intervention to this hospital. We want to assure you that this hospital is going to be integrated with solar light.
“So the blood bank will be functional, the CT scan will be functional and the oxygen will be functional. I am a victim because I lost my first son at FETHA 2, when it was still specialist hospital under the state because of lack of oxygen.
“I want to appeal to everybody, even if you don’t like me, go and get your PVC. The PVC is your power, with it you can negotiate with big men and get anything you want,” he stated.
Responding, the Chief Medical Director of Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Emeka Ogah, commended Mr Chinedu Ogah, for partnering with the hospital.
He noted that the lawmaker had always proffered solutions to problems bedeviling the hospital.
“He has been doing so much after I ran to him in Abuja, he took me from one office to another, to make sure that our problem is solved. One thing we have decided to be doing here in order to save the women, is that any woman that gives birth to twin, especially triplets, as long as she is from the country, will be delivered free,” Ogah said.
Other activities lined-up activities for the birthday anniversary include free dispensing of PMS (Fuel) to commercial motor drivers, tricycle operators, motorcyclists (Okada riders) and breakfast with the lawmaker.
