Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has commissioned the newly remodelled and digitally equipped 80-bed Obingwa General Hospital in Mgboko, Obingwa Local Government Area, as part of his administration’s ongoing efforts to transform healthcare infrastructure across the state.
The commissioning was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, who said the facility was also renamed after the late human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner, Chima Ubani.
According to the statement, the commissioning took place on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, with Otti describing healthcare as a central pillar of his administration’s development agenda.
The governor said the investment was aimed at restoring confidence in public health institutions and saving lives, particularly those of mothers and newborns.
He said the upgraded hospital would expand access to quality medical services for hundreds of thousands of residents of Obingwa and neighbouring communities, while its strategic location would also enable it to serve residents of Aba, Osisioma and other adjoining areas.
Otti expressed satisfaction with the modern features of the facility, which include a healing garden, technology-driven data management, real-time inter-facility collaboration, technology-assisted laboratory and scan analysis, a well-equipped theatre, eye-care units, observation rooms and a renewable energy system designed to support uninterrupted power supply.
“We have reached a new milestone in the effort to modernise our health institutions to reflect the spirit of this age.
“This facility should remain open every night and day. It operates for 24 hours a day, Saturdays and Sundays inclusive.
“Whoever comes here for medical reasons must receive the attention and support they need, whatever their social or economic conditions,” Otti stated.
Hospital Renamed After Chima Ubani
Explaining the decision to rename the hospital after Ubani, the governor said it was a tribute to the late activist’s courage, compassion and lifelong commitment to justice, democracy and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
Otti recalled Ubani’s role as a pro-democracy campaigner, Students’ Union President at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation.
He described the late activist as “a mentor of the masses, one who died in pursuit of the very ideals that he lived for.”
According to the governor, the honour was intended not only to preserve Ubani’s memory but also to inspire present and future generations to live lives of courage, service and integrity.
Otti also assured that his administration would continue to support the late activist’s family and collaborate with medical professionals and other stakeholders to strengthen healthcare delivery in Abia.
The governor said community leaders had been incorporated into efforts to protect the facility and warned vandals against any attempt to damage the hospital.
301 Health Projects Under Otti
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, said the 80-bed hospital demonstrated Otti’s commitment to building a future-ready healthcare system in Abia.
Uche disclosed that the administration had embarked on 301 infrastructural projects in the health sector within three years, including the construction and equipping of 277 primary healthcare centres to standards set by the state government.
He described the Obingwa facility as a digital hospital, noting that women in labour at various primary healthcare centres could be linked to it for medical support.
“Obingwa has received more than a fair share of these projects, including 18 primary health centres, 13 of them under Project Ekwueme and five under Impact project,” Uche stated.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Abia State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Odochi Azubuike, recalled that the hospital was built under the Local Government SURE-P programme and commissioned in 2015.
She said the Otti administration inherited the facility in a dilapidated condition, with no admissions, drugs or equipment.
According to her, the government had transformed it from a facility that lacked basic necessities into a functional hospital.
Azubuike commended the governor for his commitment to the welfare of HMB staff and urged residents of Obingwa to take ownership of the facility and protect it.
Stakeholders Commend Development
The Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe; Labour Party State Chairman, Peter Azubuike; Labour Party candidate for Obingwa, Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency, Dr. Okey Nwambu; Labour Party candidate for Obingwa West Constituency, Chief Mrs. Victoria Dibunma Onwubiko; Mayor of Obingwa LGA, Maxwell Nwadike; and Eze Nwabiaraije Eneogwe commended Otti for the hospital and other projects executed in the area.
They also assured that the people of Obingwa would vote overwhelmingly for the governor and candidates of his party.
The Chairman of Save A Life Group, Dr. Richard Okoye, said his organisation was partnering with the state because of what he described as Otti’s visionary leadership.
Okoye said Abia would soon record the highest life expectancy in West Africa, citing the governor’s investments in healthcare, and commended his commitment to ensuring that every Abian has access to dignified and quality healthcare.
Also speaking, retired Professor of Paediatrics, Prof. Kanu Nkaginieme, praised the governor’s transformation of the state’s health infrastructure.
He urged traditional and community leaders to oversee health facilities and called on Abians to take ownership of the projects being delivered across the state.
The commissioning was attended by Deputy Governor Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, FNSE; Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Meribeole; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Ph.D.; and other senior government officials.
