Asaba Specialist Hospital: Okpanam Indigene Writes Open Letter To Okowa, Faults Naming, Says They Own The Land

It is no longer news that Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, on Friday last week, announced that Asaba Specialist Hospital had been fully completed for inauguration on Tuesday,15th June, 2021.

Governor Okowa to be frank is a people’s general and a proactive Governor whom have distinguished himself as a servant leader by listening to the voices of people and as well as providing adequate infrastructure and dividend of democracy in fulfilment of all his electoral promises

On behalf of the people of Okpanam, we thank and appreciate you His Excellency Sir, for your doggedness towards putting up a specialist hospital in our land, filled with numerous medical facilities and putting the building into a functional and operational state and I can see very clearly that the hospital is one of the best which can contain over 70, 000 patients and no fewer than 30,000 are children under five years of age .

We thank you His Excellency for your kind gesture, sincerity of purpose and unalloyed confidence you bestowed upon us and our brother and uncle, Chief Patrick Ukah as Secretary to the State Government.

Sincerely speaking Sir, I humbly put up this article to express my displeasure as regards to the theme and the name that was used for the specialist hospital for inauguration.

Before the invent of colonialism, Okpanam and Asaba has been in a peaceful co-existence. We maintain cordial, reborst and mutual relationship with one another, with separate traditional system and social lifestyle.

Moving further, Asaba is a city located at the western bank of the Niger River. It is the Capital of Delta State and one of the 3 town’s of Oshimili South LGA. While Okpanam is located in Oshimili North LGA. of Delta State. It’s geographical coordinates shows North East. In it, there are four quarters which includes, Obodogba, Ogbe-uzoma, Amachai and Obodogwugwu with numerous villages. It is bordered by Asaba, and Ugbolu, a vassal subject to Okpanam to the east, Ibusa and Ogwuashi Ukwu in the south and Iselle Asagba and Asagba Ogwuashi respectively.

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Okpanam community presently consists of both indigenous and non-indigenous residents who are merely civil/public servants, farmer’s and traders.

Okpanam traditional ruler is HRM Michael Mbanefo Ogbolu (The Uguani of Okpanam) and our Queen Mother, HRH,Dr. Martha Dunkwu (Omu Of Okpanam/Anioma Nation/Mother’s of all market women.

His Excellency Sir, on behalf of Okpanam community, we thank and appreciate you ones again for citing and providing state Specialist Hospital on our Land Okpanam. This will tackle the health challenges and problems facing mostly those staying in rural areas.

Sir, establishment of the Specialist Hospital will by no small/bigger means impact the people of Okpanam/Asaba and her environs.

But the truth must not be taken away. Okpanam is Okpanam and Asaba is Asaba.

His Excellency Sir, let Okpanam be seen and addressed as Okpanam same with Asaba because we are autonomous communities. Virtually all the land and space along Akpu Junction belong to Okpanam and that same land which was named today as Asaba Specialist Hospital was initially sold by the people of Okpanam before government took over the land and then handed it over for development use.

Please His Excellency Sir, help us change the name to Okpanam Specialist Hospital, Okpanam GRA. Delta State. The land is not in contention with anybody just that we were fooled by past administrations that took away virtually all our land starting from Macdon down to Akpu Junction.

Okpanam is not the first community to be close to a capital city. Take for instance, in Warrri to be precise, we have a Refinery named Ekpan-Warri. In Portharcourt, we have University of Portharcourt, Chuba-Portharcourt.

In Okwe, we have, Okwe General Hospital, Okwe and not Asaba.

We equally have Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun-Warri Delta State.

My question now remains, His Excellency Sir, why must our own be known and addressed as Asaba Specialist Hospital when even the traditional rulers and leaders of Asaba know that the land belongs to Okpanam including HRH. Professor Chike Edozie (The Asagba of Asaba).

Like I said repeatedly in my previous post, is it right for us as a town to always maintain peaceful and keep mute on everything that affects our land and boundary with our clear eyes seeing our resources and soil been ceded to Asaba because she is seen and known all over the world as capital of Delta State..

His Excellency Sir, please do something. We don’t want to go off the line, like we said earlier. We are solemnly behind you and all your decisions and anywhere you go we must follow you

God Bless..

Written by Lucky Okolo
He hails from Okpanam, Delta State Nigeria.