By Michael Nnebife and Emmanuel Chigozie
The Ichida Community in Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State, has constructed and handed over a magnificent hospital to the Catholic Diocese of Awka, for easy accessibility and sustained comprehensive healthcare services for the people of the community and its environs.
Present during the handover ceremony, which took place on Saturday, 19th October, 2024, were the top officials of the Diocese led by the Bishop, Most Rev Dr Paulinus Chukwuemeka Ezeokafor; the Traditional Ruler of Ichida Community, Igwe Charles Ezeudogu, represented by his cabinet Secretary, Chief Sir Innocent Ezike; the President General of the community, Chief Uche Enechi; his female counterpart, Mrs Appolonia Osigwe; and a number of the Ichida Community leaders, who included High Chief Innocent Chikezie.
According to the President General of Ichida Community, the initiative began about 12 years ago when the community came up with the idea of having a hospital.
‘Thereafter, we began, built and equipped the hospital. Considering the fact that what is involved in managing a hospital is enormous, we began to look for people that would help us manage it.
‘We wrote to His Excellency, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor. Three weeks later, he replied our letter indicating interest to help us on this.
‘From that particular day, we began a partnership. The Diocese’s team followed up this with several inspections.
‘They directed us to put certain things needed in place, which we have done as directed.
‘So, today, we are happy that the Catholic Diocese of Awka has finally come to take up this hospital, so that we can provide health care to our people,’ the President General said, and described the partnership as a milestone.
He thanked the Diocese for accepting to help the community; the inspection team, for its effort; and the illustrious son of the community, the late Rev Fr Prof Stephen Chukwujekwu, whom he said, guided the community in the right path to the partnership.
‘Ndi Ichida are passionate about the hospital; as we are handing it over to you, we are not going to sleep, we are going to work with you throughout, provide facilities and everything that is needed for it to continue to move on,’ the Ichida President General assured.
Responding, Bishop Ezeokafor excitedly described the partnership on the part of the Diocese as a big responsibility, and assured the Ichida Community that the Diocese would do its best to ensure the objectives of the hospital were not only realized but also sustained.
‘We remain grateful to God and the people of Ichida Community for having faith and trust in us.
‘We see this facility as very important to the people; we will do our best to get people who will be honest and diligent (to realize the effort you have put in place already) so that in the near future people will be seeing positive outcomes of your efforts here,’ Ezeokafor told the Ichida people.
‘So we thank you and solemnly pledge that we will do our best,’ he continued to assure them, expressing belief that the facilities already on ground in the hospital could serve any normal health challenge.
Shortly after the handover, the Bishop inaugurated the board of the hospital.
The board members are Rev Fr Innocent Affusim, Chairman; Rev Fr Dr Henry Okeke, Legal Adviser; and Rev Fr Keneth Okonkwo. Others are Prof J. C. Orakwe; Mrs Christie Njideka Aduma; and Chief Gilbert Okonkwo.
Bishop Ezeokafor expressed confidence in the board members, whom, he hoped, would do their job perfectly and make a needed difference in the hospital owing to their expertise and long years of experience.
He charged them to make sure that the young hospital, christened, ”St Charles Galaxy Hospital”, which is to be managed by Rev Fr Augustine Igwebuike, took a good footing.
The Manager, Rev Fr Igwebuike, briefly spoke with Fides, expressing readiness to deliver on the mandate entrusted to him by the Diocese and the Ichida Community.
‘What I saw in Ichida today is very praiseworthy and laudable. They have done a lot by equipping the hospital to a very great extent.
‘So, ours is to put the equipment to good use and make efforts to see that their dream for building and handing it over to the Church comes to fruition,’ the young priest said.
In a vote of thanks, the representative of Igwe Ezeudogu, Chief Sir Ezike, expressed gratitude to the Awka Catholic Diocese for accepting the partnership, and the entire people of the community, for their cooperation.
Signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Diocese and Ichida Community, by Bishop Ezeokafor and the Chancellor of the Diocese, Rev Fr Charles Ndubuisi, who stood for the Diocese; and Igwe Ezeudogu, represented by Chief Sir Ezike, and Chief Enechi, who stood for the Ichida Community, formed a part of the ceremony which also featured inspection of the hospital’s equipment by Bishop Ezeokafor, handing over the key of the hospital to the Manager, by the Bishop, and 35 million Naira start-up grant to the Diocese by the community.
