Akalites happy as UCH is set to reopen.
3 min read
Indications emerged last week that Umuaka Community Hospital UCH, which has been abandoned since the last 20 years or more will bounce back to life again. The royal fathers in Umuaka Municipal Council, otherwise known as Umuaka Ebe Iri in conjunction with some representatives of Akah Federal Union AFU, have been holding meetings on how best to handle the crisis that have engulfed the ownership of the hospital. It can be recalled that last year, the Amiyi community changed the signpost at the hospital which read Umuaka Community Hospital to Amiyi-Akah Community Hospital and claimed ownership of the health institution.
This move by the Amiyi community was considered provocative by other autonomous communities in Umuaka and since then, the royal fathers in other communities in Umuaka have been meeting with top stakeholders on how best to handle the already precarious and heated situation.
A couple of weeks ago, AFU and the royal fathers in Umuaka Municipal Council UMC, held a close-door meeting where Amiyi community, according to Chief Eddy Ikwubuo, the leader of AFU, agreed to sit down with other communities in Umuaka and negotiate the way out. The first meeting, from what Umuaka Times gathered, had already been held and other meetings are expected to follow immediately.
Many Akalites who have been following the trends at the hospital, are of the view that a peaceful resolution will be reached by the royal fathers. One of the issues the royal fathers are expected to deliberate upon is how to create a way forward at the hospital. Many Akalites over the years both in and outside the country have indicated their interests to either lease the hospital or buy it outrightly. The royal fathers are therefore expected to come out with the best solution. There are many options on the table according to what Umuaka Times gathered a couple of days ago. The first option is to sell the hospital to the highest bidder and the proceeds shared among the 10 communities in Umuaka.
Another option is to handover the management of the hospital to any person or group of persons who will renovate it, put it in good use and go into agreement with Umuaka Municipal Council on how much he will be paying the community annually.
Umuaka Times gathered from several sources that the hospital has several options that are yet to be disclosed but the royal fathers will consider what will give the community good returns.
From indications, not only Akalites are interested in the hospital, some other persons and businessmen from the state and even outside Imo State are also said to be interested to acquire the hospital and equip it to high standards. There are many people who are of the opinion that it must be sold to an Akalite if the royal fathers eventually agree on selling the hospital outrightly. There is also another group of voices that shows no interests on who buys the hospital.”All we want is for the hospital to start functioning. Who buys it at last in not important to us. We want to be alive,” a fellow disclosed to Umuaka Times.
For now, the entire communities in Umuaka Municipal Council are waiting to hear from the royal fathers on the right path to follow to make Umuaka Community Hospital come back to life again.
