Odi General Hospital To Get Facelift – Dickson

Governor Seriake Dickson
of Bayelsa State, says the government would give a facelift on Odi General Hospital by renovating it in no distant time to improve healthcare delivery in the area.
Governor Dickson, who spoke while flagging off the 58th edition of the famous Odi Ogori Ba Uge Festival at Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government Area on Monday, also promised to build a befitting pavilion for the community to hold its social functions.
Describing Odi as one of the biggest communities in Ijaw land,the governor acknowledged that the people have been supportive of the Peoples Democratic Party and his administration right from its inception and, therefore, deserves more dividends of democracy.
Although, the hospital project was initiated by a previous administration, Governor Dickson maintained that the decision to re-award the contract was informed by his policy of completing every people-oriented project within the limits of available resources.
He urged the community leadership to provide land for the construction of the civic centre, even as he said the government would award contract for the project and mobilise workers to site within the next three weeks, as well as support Odi in sponsoring the festival financially.
While commending the community for honouring the heroic exploits of their fathers, which culminated in the killing of the rampaging Ogori (buffalo) some decades ago,Governor Dickson called on the people to resist any temptation that will divide them, but always pitch a common united front to attract more development to the area.
The Governor, who also unveiled an art work depicting a hunter and the killer of the buffalo, announced a donation of N1 million each to the two sculptors, who are students of the state-owned Niger Delta University for doing what he described as a beautiful job.
In a welcome address, Chairman of the 2015 Odi Ogori Ba Uge planning committee, represented by its Secretary, Mr Amaitari Melo, gave a brief history of the festival, noting that the buffalo first appeared at the Mission Primary School in the community in 1953.
According to his account, the animal killed a total of 5 people and injured several others before it was gunned down on the 27th of July, 1957.
He highlighted some needs of the community to include the renovation and proper equipment of the Odi general hospital, lack of steady electricity supply and the financial burden of sponsoring the annual festival.