Obi Lauds Govt, Church Partnership

Governor Peter Obi of
Anambra State  said he has no regrets over this collaborations with the church since he became the governor as the partnership has yielded the expected dividends.
Obi spoke at the weekend during the presentation of the cheque of N100m naira and N30m to the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor  for the on going projects by the state government at St. Joseph Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu and N30m  to the Anglican Bishop of Ihiala, Most Rev. Raphael Okafor  at St. Luke Diocesan Hospital,  Isseke for the state-sponsored Maternity complex in the town.
Obi said that the partnership with the Church, informed by the need to support the Church and other institutions that work for the good and progress of the people of the state had worked very well.
“All the projects we do through the Church can be done by us in the usual manner government does  business.But I can tell you that with the Church we achieve more because they are honest and understand more revealingly, the meaning of service to the people. A house erected through the Church at N50m, will cost the Government over  N100m. So, you can see the wisdom of working through them. They do not speak about variation and are unlikely to settle those who see government as a bazaar”, Obi said.
Obi, who reinstated  the determination of his administration to upgrade Saint Joseph Hospital Adazi-Nnukwu to international standard, said that the fund would ensure the projects would be completed as quickly as possible to futher promote efficient healthcare delivery and training of the necessary manpower.
Responding, the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor said the Governor had changed the face of the entire state while the hospital was one of the major beneficiaries of his good governance. He  observed  that the Governor was setting pace for others to follow and extolled him for sustaining high tempo of work even at the tail end of his tenure.
Shortly after the cheque presentation for the maternity at Isseke,  the Governor said the on-going ten ultra-modern maternity and Child Health Centres spread across the State would  further promote the health of mothers and children when completed.

Governor Rochas Okorocha (5th left) of Imo State with the newly appointed technical committee chairmen of the 27 local government areas of the state, during their inauguration in Owerri , recently. photo: NAN

Godwin Osondu, Awka