Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, at the weekend honored Senator Chris Adighije to mark his 80th birthday anniversary and, as part of the activities, formally commissioned the “Senator Chris Adighije Health Insurance Complex (SCAHIC)” built in his honour at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Umuahia.
Senator Adighije, who was Senator for Abia Central from 2003-2007, Chairman of the FMC Umuahia Governing Board from 2000-2002, and Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, among other federal positions, attained the age of 80 on Saturday.
Chairman of the FMC Governing Board, Hon. Matthew Uguru, during the commissioning, said that his led Board and the Management approved the naming of the Complex after Senator Adighije in appreciation of his commendable contributive role in the hospital’s development, which he stated has become the target for his successors to attain and surpass.
The Medical Director, Professor Azubuike Onyebuchi, disclosed that they undertook the project to enable the Health Insurance Scheme in the hospital to operate appropriately.
He said that hitherto, people registered under the Health Insurance Scheme who came to the hospital shared the same space with outpatients, describing the scenario as not ideal.
“We, therefore, decided on a separate building/ward that would house the Health Insurance Scheme and digitize its operations with the necessary technology that would enable us to monitor the operations effectively and seamlessly, both centrally and from our phones.”
Governor Otti disclosed that his honoring of Senator Adighije was informed by their long-standing relationship, describing him as a man of integrity and selflessness worthy of being celebrated.
He noted that despite their being in different political parties—Senator Adighije of the APC and himself (Otti) of Labour—Adighije publicly supported his governorship bid. Hence, Otti prayed for Adighije’s continued good health and long life.
Otti’s words: “This is a brilliant man but, most importantly, people have talked about his goodness. For me, he is more than a good man, a man that will put his life on the line for you if he believes in your cause.
“That was why when I came out to contest in 2014, it didn’t matter to him that we are not in the same party, but he supported me publicly.”
Earlier, during the church service held at the FMC Chapel, the presiding priest, Reverend Ernest Onyeukwu, urged Governor Otti to revisit the state pensioners’ pension arrears issue and do the needful to settle it.
The governor, who replied with the promise to take up the discussion with the pensioners’ leadership, however, expressed disappointment with the Pensioners Union Leadership.
He decried the scenario where the pensioners were owed since 2018 but, shortly after his administration came into office in 2023, paid them ten billion naira (N10 billion) as pension arrears as per mutual agreement.
“I have maintained that our senior citizens and pensioners are very honest people, but the problem is with their leadership, and the problem of the leadership has to do with their association.
He added that “even when they were going into an agreement with me, they probably didn’t believe that payment would be made. And when
I made the payment, they now went around to say they didn’t sign, so that angered me. But because you have said it, I will have a second look at it,” Otti assured Rev. Onyeukwu.
In attendance at the birthday party held at the International Conference Center, Umuahia, were the former Senate President, Senator David Mark; Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edu; Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma; past and present members of the National Assembly, including Senators Nkechi Nwaogu, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chris Ngige, Austin Akobundu, among many others, including the celebrant’s family members.
