By Stephen Adeleye

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), Lokoja, Prof. Adagiri Yahaya, has commended the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for given the state owned hospital a facelift to improving quality healthcare delivery for the residents of the state.

Adagiri, who gave the commendation while speaking to newsmen in his office on Thursday in Lokoja, revealed that the Hospital is experiencing positive transformation and a facelift courtesy of the Executive Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

The CMD noted that the hospital which is currently undergoing rigorous rehabilitation and construction, upon transformation would serve as an aesthetic to the state capital.

The CMD said he was appointed and took reigns at the health facility at the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown, when the hospital was not operating at a full scale with meagre income, and lauded the timely intervention of the Governor to normalise the hospital activities.

According to Adagiri, the Governor has made the hospital management system easy and hitch free through the implementation of the NHIS and the COMMESS 2014 salary scheme, which has seen to the welfare and prompt payment of staff salaries.

The CMD further revealed that the hospital had recorded several other achievements under his leadership, such as a very reliable water and electricity supply which were not the situation prior to the intervention of the State Governor.

He, therefore commended the state governor for his tremendous contribution towards giving the hospital a total overhaul.

Adagiri further expressed his profound gratitude to the governor for his willingness to revamp the hospital to reflect the true image of a specialist hospital.

The chief medical director prayed God to enable the Governor do more exploits for the state and the nation at large.

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The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kogi State chapter, has renovated a maternity ward as supported ward and donated medical consumables to Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH) Lokoja.

The Chairperson of FIDA in Kogi, Barr. Lilian Ajuma Okolo, disclosed this at the commissioning of the renovated maternity ward in KSSH, as part of activities to celebrate the 2021 Internatonal Women Day (IWD).

She noted that the commissioning of the maternity ward by FIDA, was to commemorate this year women’s day, and to celebrate women and mothers.

She explained that the rehabilitation of the ward at the state hospital, was the brain child of FIDA with the support of Mrs Mary Titilayo Eboh, a Philantropist and Matron of FIDA.

Okolo added that with the assistance of the Matron, FIDA was also able to renovate electrical fittings, donate chairs and other maternity essentials and consumables to the hospital.

Okolo explained that the importance of IWD cannot be over emphasised, stressing that in spite of the potentials of women in the society, they have continued to face series of challenges ranging from sexual harassment, violence, oppression and stigmatisation.

She, therefore urged the State House of Assembly to expidite action to pass into law the Violence against Person Prohibition bill.

According to her, the violence against person prohibition bill is currently at its committee stage in Kogi House of Assembly, and there is need to replicate the law in State as matter of urgency.

She stressed that this became imperatives as a result of numerous challenges facing womenfolks in the society especially the indigent and vulnerable women.

“Going by the words of Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and first woman nominated for U.S. President by a major political party, who said “We need to understand that there is no formula for how women should lead their lives.

”That is why we must respect the choices that each woman makes for herself and her family.

”Every woman deserves the chance to realize her God-given potential”.

”It is against this backdrop that the 2021 international women day according to many Nigerians, is apt in views of the current COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world today”, she said.

Okolo, therefore urged women in the country to challenge all forms of inequality and discrimination.

Also speaking; the Director General Kogi State Office of the Public Defender and Citizen’s Rights Commission (PDCRC), Barr. Zakari Abdullahi, urged women to stand out and fight for their right.

Zakari noted that women over the years had suffered series of deprivations, stressing that the 35 per cent affirmation was far from being achieved by successive government in the country.

On her part, Barr. Tina Tims Ejiga, FIDA Coordinator North Central Zone, and past Chairperson in Kogi, described the 2021 IWD celebration as quite challenging, but commended the government for always supporting FIDA’s programs and activities.

‘According to her, it is important to note that all nations that have achieved it pick globally, get there through the immense contributions of women whose efforts to nation building cannot be quantified.

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