Oborevwori Chief of Staff Urges Private Sector to Support State Development, Inspects Facility Built By Chuks Agidigbo
KWALE/Nigeria: The Chief of Staff to the Governor of Delta State, Hon. Johnson Erijo, has called on the organized private sector and affluent individuals to actively contribute to the state’s development. He made this appeal on Monday while inspecting a newly built six-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Central Hospital, Kwale, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area. The facility, constructed and equipped by the Chuks Agidigbo Leadership Foundation and MEDAST Nigeria Limited, stands as a significant private sector contribution to healthcare in the region.
Hon. Erijo, who expressed astonishment at the state-of-the-art equipment installed in the ICU, emphasized the importance of private sector involvement in state development, particularly in infrastructure provision. “We are here to inspect the Intensive Care Unit at this hospital. This is a very good development, and I will brief my Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to determine the most suitable time for us to formally receive the structure and facilities from the donors, Chuks Agidigbo Foundation and MEDAST Nigeria Limited,” he stated.
He further urged other members of the organized private sector and wealthy individuals, especially those from Delta State, to emulate this gesture. “As Mr. Chuks Agidigbo highlighted, government cannot do it alone,” Erijo added.
Echoing this sentiment, Engr. Goodnews Agbi, Special Adviser to Governor Oborevwori on Project Monitoring, noted that private contributions can significantly alleviate the burden on the government. “If everyone with the capacity to execute and donate such projects stepped forward, the strain on government resources would be greatly reduced,” Agbi said. He also expressed gratitude to Mr. Agidigbo for the initiative and pledged to notify the governor for a formal handover of the project to the state government.
Mr. Chuks Agidigbo, Chief Executive Officer of MEDAST Nigeria Limited, who spearheaded the project, revealed that the idea stemmed from the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ICU, he noted, is equipped with oxygen flow meters, ventilators, and a nurse station for patient monitoring, among other critical facilities. “During COVID-19, we recognized the urgent need for such facilities in our community. This fully equipped ICU includes provisions for continuous oxygen flow, which is essential for the accreditation of a University Teaching Hospital,” Agidigbo explained.
He further stated that the project aims to inspire others to mobilize private sector support for the government, reiterating that the government cannot meet all the needs alone. “This is the first facility we are building in Delta State, and by the grace of God, it will not be the last,” Agidigbo declared.
The inspection tour also included the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Delta State, Comrade Fidelis Egugbo, the Zonal Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Patrick Ofili, and the Zonal Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Judith Ibobo, among other officials.
