By Ken Stanley

The Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area in Enugu State, Chief Jude Asogwa, has hailed Gov. Peter Mbah administration for investing over N30 billion in infrastructure development in the council area.

Asogwa disclosed this on Thursday in Enugu while speaking to newsmen after a brief reception for Prof. George Ugwu, who was sworn in as Commissioner for Health in the state on Wednesday.

He said that the governor had been so magnanimous to Nsukka people, adding that “Nsukka occupies a special place in his heart and he carries us along in all his developmental plans.”

According to him, for two years running, Gov. Mbah has invested more than N30 billion in building infrastructure within the Nsukka council area.

“We have ongoing 20 smart schools and each cost structurally nothing less than N526 million, some N600 million and N700 million depending on topography and this is apart from technology gadgets imported to be fixed in the schools.

“Gov. Mbah is building 20 Type-2 Primary Health Centres and ongoing construction of 44.1 kilometre Opi-Nsukka Road and other Open Defecation Free (ODF) programmes where the state government commits millions into.

“He is also doing 20 ward level farm estate projects to get our people, especially youths engaged and back to farm as well as many projects that have direct impact on our people.

“We sincerely appreciate him and these projects are ongoing simultaneously. Every week, I receive people that come to find out what my (Nsukka) people need,” he said.

Asogwa said that the council had initiated “One Community, One Project” in each of the 52 communities in the council area and “we are pushing social amenities to these communities with vigour”.

“We have the Ibeagwa-Agu community and since the world began, the community does not have electricity and last week we took electricity to them; electrified about three kilometers of the community with transformers,” he said.

The chairman appreciated Mbah for the appointment of Prof. George Ugwu, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) as the new state’s Commissioner for Health.

“This appointment is putting a round peg in a round hole and Prof. Ugwu is a tested and trusted hand in health administration and clinical response.

“I am confident that he will deliver on the mandate of the state’s Ministry of Health as well as showcase the forthrightness and hard work Nsukka people are known for,” he said.

It would be recalled that Ugwu is the immediate past Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA) and among doctors that clinically fought Ebola, Lassa fever and COVID-19 in the state.