By Amos Aar
A kidney centre donated by the Godwin Obla Foundation (GOF) to the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo (FUHSO) has been commissioned on Monday at FUHSO Teaching Hospital, located at the former General Hospital, Otukpo.
The facility, named Judith Ogwa Obla Memorial Kidney Centre, after Chief Godwin Obla’s late wife was built and equipped by GOF.
GOF also announced at the commissioning ceremony on Monday the institution of an Endowment Fund of the sum of N40 million for prizes at FUHSO.
Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, represented by his deputy, Engr Benson Abounu, commended Chief Obla, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), for the milestone and urged other Idoma sons and daughters to emulate him.
Governor Ortom led a one-minute silence in honour of the late Judith Obla.
In his address, the founder of Godwin Obla Foundation, Chief Obla, explained that the establishment of the Kidney Centre was in commemoration of his late wife, Judith Ogwa Obla, who he said suffered from diabetes that led to kidney failure and eventually resulted to her death.
According to Obla, his late wife spent most of her time in America for medical treatment owing to lack of good medical facilities in Nigeria. He said this informed his decision to donate the facility and name it after her.
“On the 21st March, 2022, we lost Mrs Judith Ogwa Obla in the United States as a result of complications arising from diabetes which led to kidney failure.
“Throughout the time, she boldly faced the challenges of the underlying ailment and its effect on other secondary consequential ailments, the lack of facilities and its impacts on our people back home was glaring. While she had the benefit of first-class facilities in the U.S. where she had to be more present in order to access the facilities.
“Anytime she came home renewed the rude awakening of the dearth of facilities. After her passing, I had the burden of doing my bit in facing through my Foundation, this unfortunate challenge to our people’s wellbeing. I promised to donate a Centre that will provide basic dialysis facilities to our people within a year”, Obla stated.
He also disclosed that the foundation initially estimated at N150 million for the Kidney Centre but more than double of that amount was eventually spent on the project which can be put at over N300 million
“Our initial estimate was that the project will not exceed one hundred and fifty million naira in total costs from a lawyer’s perspective. At the stage we are today, I know better. We have more than expended double our estimate. We have migrated from providing purely dialysis services to a centre for training, services and research”.
He said the kidney centre currently has six units of brand new dialysis machines with manufacturer’s warranty, two beds in the intensive care unit to cater for unforeseen emergencies arising from service delivery, laboratory, laundry, two dialysis wards with cable TV, conference room equipped with cable TV, provision for online training and various medical equipment to meet various needs.
Other facilities, according to him, include one hundred thousand-litre water reservoir/harvester in-house water processing plant, consulting rooms, room for dieticians and social welfare workers, reception equipped with cable TV, provision of Starlink internet access, access way for the physically challenged, alternative power serviced with 60 KVA generator and covered driveway to protect during adverse weather conditions. “There will be continuous upgrade of facilities at the kidney centre to ensure that it is and remains a reference point and centre of excellence,” Obla assured.
The foundation also signed an agreement with FUHSO for endowment fund of the sum of forty million naira for the following prizes: Judith Ogwa Obla Endowment of ten million naira (N10,000,000) for the best graduating student in Nephrology. Prize Money to be no less than one million naira (N1,000,000) annually.
Joseph Elagbaje Obla Senior Endowment of ten million naira (N10,000,000) for the best graduating student in Internal Medicine, prize money to be no less than one million naira (N1,000,000) annually.
Godwin Odumu Obla SAN Endowment of ten million naira (N10,000,000) for the best graduating student in Urology. Prize money to be no less than one million naira (N1,000,000) annually.
Dr. Idoko Edwin Obe (Osonyeta K’ldoma and Odejo Owukpa) Endowment of ten million naira (N10,000,000) for the best overall graduating student. Prize money to be no less than one million naira (N1,000,000) annually.
“The first prize/endowment for Nephrology is in memory of my late wife Judith in whose honour this Centre was built and is been dedicated and commissioned today. As earlier stated, she passed away from complications resulting from renal failure.
“The second prize/endowment for Internal Medicine Joseph Elagbaje Obla Senior Prize is in memory of my late father who lived with high blood pressure and suffered stroke during his lifetime. He recovered but not fully from the ailment.
“The third prize/endowment for Urology is named after my humble self because almost every man after forty should be interested in prostrate matters, I am the only person living among those that prizes are endowed in honour of.
“The final prize/endowment for overall best graduating medical student is in honour of the first Idoma Medical Doctor, a legend and a great humanist who has all but been forgotten,” Chief Obla explained.
Obla advised the university not to co-mingle the endowment funds with regular income of the university so that it is not caught with the bureaucratic and TSA requirements. But the funds should be immediately invested in FGN Bonds sold by the Central Bank of Nigeria in banks so that it can start attracting/earning interests/dividends.
“I also call on the University to keep to the terms of this agreement even if and when the current leadership has taken its leave.
“This new project will involve setting up a Centre for Urological Studies which will introduce the prior Robotic Surgery Centre in the state for patients suffering from prostrate and related Urological illness. This will address the current sad situation where prostrate surgeries are indiscriminately carried out by persons not specialized in that field,” Obla advised.
Obla handed over the checks for the awards to the vice chancellor of FUSHO, Prof. Innocent Ujah, who in his speech, assured that FUHSO will keep the agreement reached with GOF and use the equipment judiciously.
“I wish to assure Chief Godwin Obla, SAN and Godwin Obla Foundation that the endowment funds will be religiously used for prizes stated and to deserving students. Let me state up front that the impact of this gesture will be enormous not only on the students but also the university as this will motivate students to work harder and strive for excellence all the time, so that the graduates of this institution will easily be marketable not only in Nigeria but also globally.
“We shall state very clearly that because prevention is better and cheaper than cure, preventive strategies, including awareness creation and extensive advocacy will form an important component in the reduction of the incidence of kidney diseases, hypertension and diabetes in the immediate community and Nigeria at large.
“This is the first time in Nigeria that a university will commence with a Teaching Hospital which has a brand new and highly specialised discipline like kidney centre that is built, furnished and fully equipped by a philanthropist who is not a medical doctor but a legal luminary. These are two of the three noble professions written and mentioned in the Holy Bible, the third being the clergy.
“The Judith Obla Ogwa Memorial Kidney Centre with dialysis unit will play such a critical role in the treatment and management of kidney and related diseases very specifically in our community as well as Nigeria at large. Equipped with the latest technology and staffed with experienced and dedicated professionals, this centre will provide comprehensive care to patients with kidney diseases, including diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Indeed, training and research will complete the triangle in the activities of the Centre,” Prof Ujah said.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Director General, Godwin Obla Foundation, Elder Uba Obande, JP, said the foundation has recently completed and handed over a students’ hostel block at Wesley High School in Otukpo, commissioned the Bar Centre built in honour of the foremost Idoma lawyer at the High Court, Otukpo, Chief Morgan Ogbole, renovated and furnished the dilapidated High Court 1, Otukpo, installed solar lights in all the classrooms and walkways at St. Francis College Otukpo and currently renovating and equipping the 3 laboratories (Chemistry, Physics, and Biology) at St. Francis College, Otukpo which is at the point of completion now.
According to Elder Obande, the physical work on the kidney centre commenced in mid-December, 2022, driven by a strong desire to finish it before the 1 anniversary of the passing of Mrs. Obla, who passed on the 21st March, 2022.
