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By Peter Anosike
Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuka is an America-based Nigerian physician.
Dr Chukwuka was the former Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and ex-Special Adviser to three governors of Anambra State: Col. Mike Atta, Chinwoke Mbadinuju and Dr Chris Ngige.
In November, he visited Nigeria and was in Ebonyi State, where he appreciated the turnaround Governor Dave Umahi has made in the state.
He also looked at infrastructural development in the country and what the government should do to overcome the challenges. Excerpt:
Why is it that you are so much attached to Ebonyi State despite the fact that you are from Anambra State?
I was born in Abakaliki many years ago. Expectedly, I did my primary school at the St. Theresa’s Primary School, Abakpa Layout and my secondary school at Presbyterian Secondary School (Presco) now called Abakaliki High School. I have visited Abakaliki since my university days in the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos and all the years of my medical practice and residence in Onitsha of Anambra State. My parents lived and died in Abakaliki. One, therefore, will understand the passion and attachment I have for this ancient historic city noted for blacksmithing and farming. My father was a rice farmer and when he died, I had the opportunity of travelling with my mother to the most interior part of Abakaliki like: Izzicha, Mkpumeakwaokuku, Itsuianyim, and others to see the rice farming fields my father had in those good old days. I enjoyed those days as a kid, as it afforded me the opportunity to mingle and understand the cultural differences and similarities between my people in Anambra State and Abakaliki people since we are all Igbo. During the rice harvesting period in the dry season, I lived in this interior part of Abakaliki with my mother for over a month. I used the opportunity as a small boy of 13 years to mingle with my age mates and would travel with them, my peer group miles in the area to go and dance a native cultural dance called ‘Odabara’. The moon would light up the thick darkness covering the vast farm land as there was no electricity in the rural areas. As a matter of fact, it was by the special grace of God that none of us was bitten by snakes that infested the thick bush that lined both sides of the footpath ways leading to the village square, where the rhythmic traditional drums were being played. I was fearless and mingled with these village peers and learned their dialects. Today, I speak fluent Abakaliki dialect.
You know Abakaliki before now since you were born in Ebonyi State, but when you visited before Christmas, what was the Abakaliki you saw?
During the time of Governor Sam Egwu, I was always invited to Abakaliki Government House whenever the government had activities. He would give me the opportunity to address my brothers and sisters in the state in our dialect. I met and played politics with many notable Abakaliki politicians like Engr. Elias Mbam – the current Chairman of the Revenue and Fiscal Commission. Elias was my classmate in Presco. Chief Lawrence Nwuruku, Barr. Okeagu Ogada – ex Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; the late Senator Vincent Osulor, the late Chief Senator Polycarp Nwite, Chief Chris Nwankwo, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo, to mention but a few. But to answer your question directly, as a small boy, I saw Abakaliki as a small local village, but my visit recently to Abakaliki kept me gaping as a toad in buccal respiration. I was shocked at the metamorphosis and miraculous transformation happening in Abakaliki. In fact, I could not recognize the local city as I frequently got lost driving through the new city that is experiencing monumental transformation. The uncountable flyover bridges along the Enugu-Abakaliki highway, especially the state-of-the-art flyover bridges at Nkalagu junction, Ezzamgbo junction, Presco (my high school) junction, Spera en Deo junction, the International Market junction and the ecumenical/shopping mall complex kept me standing mesmerized, bewildered and flabbergasted. I stood in salute and adimiration of the present governor who is my kind of visionary leader. Governor Umahi must have resolved not to leave Abakaliki city the way he met it. And kudos to him for the fantastic job he is doing. While in Abakaliki, I visited the Timbershed and the Building Material Markets, the International Market. I was happy to see Timbershed and the Building Material Markets located about seven miles away from the bubbling city centre. What a megacity Abakaliki has been turned into by this miracle worker governor.
Furthermore, I was more shocked to see the hitherto local village area called ‘Kpirikpiri’ in those days, transformed into a big city centre. The road to St. Patrick Primary School was asphalted. I tried but I could not cover all the road network in that used to be backward Kpirikpiri part of Abakaliki. The entire area has become built up with cosmetic architectural buildings and asphalted road networks with big drainages. More shocking is the fact that I did not observe any foreign contractor executing road projects in this city of Abakaliki. The indigenes by direct labour, paved, built, concreted and painted the roads. I saw these local builders along the Enugu-Abakaliki highway and inside the Centenary new Government House and offices, and along Abakaliki-Afikpo dual carriage way. I did not have the chance to visit the soon to be completed Abakaliki International Airport and the dual carriage Abakaliki-Afikpo road.
What a man of action this Governor Umahi is! My advice is for him not to be corrupted by sycophants and bad advisers. I advise other governors in Nigeria who are always whining about dearth of federal allocation to execute credible people-oriented projects, to go to Abakaliki and see how a governor can transform a city with Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). I left Abakaliki on the 2nd of December 2021 through the old Abakaliki-Enugu road. From Kpirikpiri, I saw the road dazzled with streetlights up to a point called ‘Mile 50’. I thought the road will stop there, but I was astonished, dazed and amazed to follow a solidly concreted dual carriage road through ‘Mile 4’ to Izzi High School until I joined the new Abakaliki-Enugu express road. Wonders of the century! What a Governor! What an achiever! What a go-getter and visionary man this governor is!
So, how would you like to assess Governor Umahi and other governors you worked with in your home state, Anambra in the past?
Probably, the difference between the Abakaliki present governor and the ones I have worked with in Anambra State with the exception of Dr Chris Ngige, is vision and ability to listen to pieces of advice. Dr Ngige would spend hours in the state executive council listening to me without interruption on the issue of road construction and the need to shut out all “barrow and shovel” contractors masquerading the Government House in the state. We opened roads to the hitherto inaccessible interior villages in Anambra state. I remembered that during the time I was with Dr. Ezeife, I had written a memo on how to fight the nagging sale of adulterated drugs in Anambra State Bridgehead market. I proposed what I called the “Rural People’s Pharmacy”. I had posited that siting in every local government headquarters, a government-run pharmaceutical shop that will run for 24 hours and in which nobody can obtain even a Panadol from the pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription, the state will avoid giving dubious businessmen from Onitsha the opportunity to bribe the pharmacists working in the pharmacies and buy up all the medications supplied by the government. Furthermore, by insisting on doctor’s prescription before obtaining any medication, the obnoxious ‘out-of-stock’ syndrome will be solved as government will set up a committee to supervise that drugs procured, are not found again in the open markets. Also, because government will be selling efficacious, unadulterated drugs, people will patronize these pharmacies. In the end, the businessmen will be given strong competition which will force them to begin to sell efficacious drugs in order to make money. Once they notice there is no demand for their fake, adulterated, expired medications, they will begin to bring in correct, unadulterated drugs and stop tampering with the expiry dates of medications. I suggested further that market women, teachers, and traditional rulers who will benefit from this government safety net, be set as board members who will every month audit the pharmaceutical set up. The Rural People’s Pharmacy will also afford old people living in the rural areas access to efficacious medication whenever they are sick, and not to have to wait till the next day to travel up to 60 miles to buy adulterated drugs in Onitsha. This vision of mine and many others, died on the table of Dr. Ezeife. The same fate befell all the numerous ideas I gave to Dr Mbadinuju, which he approved, but to my chagrin, awarded the projects to people without executional ideas. I still have these dreams and now in USA, I can help any government in Nigeria who is interested in extending health care services to the rural communities set up sound, credible and people oriented projects in form of pilot set up. The Rural Peoples’ Pharmacy will also provide employment opportunities for pharmacists, nurses, accountants in all local government areas of the nation. This is what is done in America where I live. The US has pharmacies where one can only obtain what is called “prescription drugs.” The other sections of the pharmaceutical stores like in WalMart, Kroger, etc have open drug stores where they sell what is called ‘OTC’, over the counter drugs. Such drugs that cannot be abused, or misused can be displayed there for customers.
How do you feel when this administration process of drugs is not followed and how can this be corrected?
It is unfortunate that in my country Nigeria, illiterate druggists otherwise called chemist shops sell all sorts of medication – antibiotics, controlled substance, syringes and needles and many others. Drugs are hawked in wheelbarrows. Shockingly, we have had Ministers of Health without any solid ideas on how to help extend healthcare services to the ruralities. People in cities and Diaspora cry everyday when their old mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters die because they were treated with adulterated or expired drugs. Let us extend healthcare services to the under privileged in the LGAs in Nigeria. It is doable. NYSC doctors should be posted to urgent care clinics that will be established in LGAs in Nigeria. They will see patients, examine them and write prescriptions for them. If the patients have need to go to the hospital, such patients will be referred by the urgent care clinics. Instead of wasting money building health centres and having no drugs or equipment, the urgent care clinics will just be there to see and examine and triage old people in the village, prescribe anti-hypertensive meds, and other medications to stabilize sick people in the rural areas.
How can we ensure money is available for drug procurement?
The Federal Government can set this up like was the case during the time of late General Sani Abacha, who set up a special fund from the sale of petroleum called Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) to procure efficacious, unadulterated, medications that are not expired. Abacha was able to use the PTF to procure drugs and equip the hospitals throughout the federation. The PTF can be used solely to run the Rural Peoples’ Pharmacy. Government should try this without delay. Nigeria is a rich country and can provide for the health of the teeming aging population in the rural areas.
But many believe corruption in Nigeria is high and has hindered most genuine initiatives…?
Yes, this is the bane of Nigeria. If you make a police officer an AIG, all he will be interested in, is how to acquire wealth he would still leave behind and die. Senators, governors, presidents, are all pursuing personal aggrandizement without ideas or best put, nonchalant on how to help the people. America today is talking about physical and human infrastructure which will provide million jobs opportunities for the population and safety nets as human infrastructure. However, in Nigeria, it is survival of the fittest. The government has no plans to create jobs for the teeming youths of the nation, not to talk of paying pensioners or even government civil servants as and when due. Shameful and ignominious indeed. Sadly, the government system just created opportunities for every Senator, House member and rich person to run the common man off the roads with incessant blaring of sirens and crazy convoys. They convey stupid ideologies to people that either you are a Senator, House member, millionaire, high ranking police officer/soldier, you are not protected by the government of this nation. Security is in shambles yet governors, senators, presidents, ministers and LGA chairmen all get security votes which they are entitled to spend without accountability. People are kidnapped, maimed, killed and robbed in Nigeria, and the government turns blind eyes and does nothing to alleviate the suffering or protect the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
As you visited Nigeria, how would you describe the state of the roads and what do you think the government should do to correct the observed lapses if any?
What is in constructing a road? The notion that Federal Government cannot construct road network to accommodate the ever increasing demands for road expansion in this nation is not only abominable, but shameful and ignominious. That such roads like the Lagos-Ibadan, Shagamu-Ore, Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt roads have been under repair or abandoned for over 10 years is tantamount to criminal negligence on the part of the Federal Government in particular, and the contractors handling the repair of these roads in general. That a small portion of Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway before the UNTH at Ituku has taken up to two years to fix is an outrageous insensibility to road users, doctors, Abia, Imo, and Rivers State people that suffer hours of bottleneck traffic jams, compounded by military and Police/Army snakelike unnecessary road blocks. Governor Sullivan Chime, the then governor of Enugu State, built and transformed Enugu city into London. He constructed a road spur from ‘4 corner’ junction along Enugu-Port Harcourt road, through the undulating terrain of Udi hills to Oji River and Ugwuoba. That road created a succor and alternative route to Anambra State, since the Enugu-Onitsha expressway was wickedly abandoned by the FG for over 20 years. The question I’m asking till today is “who refunded Gov. Sullivan all the money he spent to build these roads that opened Enugu city?” The visionary construction of Enugu-Abakpa Nike to Opi junction in Nsukka by this governor opened up that part of Enugu, saved lives and time, and obliterated the usual obnoxious traffic jam at the 9th Mile junction every Christmas period. The Federal Government should supervise contractors when contracts are awarded, and give them date of completion or have the contract revoked when these contractors fail to meet up with the contact details. To allow a 100km Enugu-Onitsha expressway to be under repair for over 20 year is arrant stupidity and criminal negligence against the people of Enugu and Anambra states.
What further advice would you like to give to the Federal Government on this?
The Federal Government of Nigeria should always embark on road projects that will bring joy to the people of Nigeria. In 2009, I was trapped along Shagamu-Ore -Benin expressway as I headed towards Ore. A journey of 1hour turned into 10 hours, characterized with mad struggles and impatience that almost drove me crazy. My wife was buying pure water and emptying them on me as she watched me sweating profusely, as the narrow roads were turned into 10-lane road by the impatient road users. For the Federal Government and the Ministry of Works to sit in their offices, share money with contractors, and turn blind eyes on the state of Nigerian highways is not only wickedness but an absolute neglect to the plight of Nigerians who cannot afford air travel, and who are struggling to put food on their tables at the end of the day.
What is the way out?
For the few years I was the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), I carved out ways to employ people. How? I found out that some workers who had resigned, retired, or died, still had their salaries continue to run and not accounted for. I immediately set up plans to have these people replaced by physical workers, so as to eliminate the obnoxious “ghost workers”. I did this through the state directors of NOA who interviewed and filled all the vacant positions that were still extant in their various states.
Furthermore, I rejected the advice to delay workers salaries between January – April 2002 despite the fact that the Federal Ministry of Finance has released such salaries. I was informed that every worker in Abuja understood the obnoxious practice. I not only addressed the workers of the Agency, paid them their salaries, but gave each of them going for the Muslim festival two frozen chicken since my agency NOA cannot afford to buy rams for all of them. They appreciated the kind gesture and bemoaned their fate in the past. I was not interested in fixing workers salaries in the bank while some of them pass sleepless nights thinking about children school fees, rent payments, hospital bills and how to put food on their tables . I also cared less about whatever embargo was in place then, when the salaries of these former workers would end up in the pockets of few individuals in the various ministries and parastatals. I was not interested in money sharing, but rather to find a way to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians. Government should be people oriented and not just continue to fill their insatiable abyss of desire and pockets. Nigerian are begging for uninterrupted electricity supply. We are tired of changing from NEPA to Power Holden of Nigeria or whatever acronym will be next. Give Nigerians uninterrupted electricity supply which President Obasanjo promised that within six months in office that power outage will be a thing of the past, but shamelessly failed to achieve that after eight years in office and which up till date is still as elusive as the electric fish. Threatening to remove subsidy every year and allowing all the money raised to end up in the pockets of few individuals is disgustingly a criminal negligence to the plight of Nigerians. Government should not appoint anybody to position of leadership unless he/she has visionary ideas on what to do when appointed. Such vision will not allow them to just sit down in the office, collect salaries and allowances, and steal the people’s money. Nigerians are ingenious, intelligent people, but the government has failed them by providing no incentives, motivations opportunities and providing security for lives and property. The sudden unfortunate death of General Tunde Idiagbo is the reason we are in this socio-political and economic quagmire. Were he to be alive today, all Nigerians of every tribe would have voted him unanimously as our leader. He was visionary, versatile, politically sagacious and people oriented. I pray God will one day send us another Moses of the Bible.
