Links rural roads to civil servants, police housing estates
In line with his commit­ment and avowed bid to revolutionise health­care delivery system in the state and sustain the provision of free maternal and child healthcare deliv­ery, Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, has given an assurance that he would employ more doc­tors to double their number in public hospitals and in­crease the salaries of nurses working in rural areas as incentives to motivate them for increased productivity.
Governor Obiano gave these assurances at the offi­cial handover of the Ofu Obi Comprehensive Health Cen­tre, Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area to the state. He pointed out that the name of the centre would be retained and announced a donation of an ambulance, ultra sound and x-ray ma­chine to the health centre to enhance its service delivery to the people.
On the other hand, Gover­nor Obiano demonstrated his administration’s determina­tion to create access road to agricultural communities and government facilities, as he approved the reconstruction of Nibo-Umubele-Umuel­echi-Zik’s Road to open up access to sites including the 1,000 housing units for the state civil servants and police housing Estates.
Obiano explained that the state had commenced the rehabilitation of 37 general hospitals and 233 primary health centres to reposition them to meet the health needs of the people.
Obiano said: “It is impor­tant to build a healthy citizen­ry to ensure all-round devel­opment of the state.”
He urged multi-national companies and other inves­tors to contribute in support of hospitals and school proj­ects as part of their social re­sponsibility.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike, said the take-over would en­sure that the centre was put to effective and optimal use.  Akabuike explained that the state government would also build mega hospitals, state-of-the-art diagnostic centres, mobile clinics and mobile ambulance.
A community leader, Chief Damian Okeke, while thank­ing the governor for the inter­vention, called his attention to the challenges of gully ero­sion ravaging the community and requested for govern­ment presence in the area.
Speaking while inspecting the Obizi Bridge along Ug­wuajilija Isiagu in Umuawu­lu Road, Obiano said the road would be designed while work would commence in earnest after the rainy season. He expressed satisfaction with the work done so far on the bridge, and disclosed that the contractor had been paid fully to deliver the road proj­ect within two weeks, adding that the road would have all components of a standard road and other necessary road fixtures. He said when com­pleted, the road would allevi­ate the challenges faced by the people and boost socio-economic activities.
The Majority Leader, Anambra State House of Assembly, Harford Oseke, thanked the governor for ful­filling his campaign promises to the people and requested the governor to also include the Isiagu-Ndikpa-Ndiuk­wuenu Road in the state road reconstruction programme.
Earlier, Commissioner for Works, Sir Callistus Ilozum­ba, recalled the deplorable condition of the road before the state government em­barked on the reconstruction project and highlighted the strategic importance of the road as major access road to various farming communities and government facilities to be sited in the area.
Chairman, Awka South Local Government Area, Mr. Romanus Iloh, noted that Governor Obiano had raised the bar of governance and provided condusive environ­ment for socio-economic ac­tivities to thrive in the state.

Obiano to employ doctors, increase nurses’ salaries