The joy of mothers who gave birth on 1st January 2021, especially the family of Mr. & Mrs. Emeka Ogwu, whose baby girl, Joy Ogwu, who was given birth to at about 12:15am, knew no bounds when the wife of the Delta State governor, Dame Edith Okowa, visited the Asaba Specialist Hospital with cash gifts and other items.
Dame Okowa, the Founder, O’5 Initiative, a Pet Project with which she has touched lives and her entourage brought a fresh breath of hope, love, smile and feelings of belonging to the families especially the mothers, aside the gift of child bearing.
Also, aside been the first baby of the year, Joy Ogwu, whose father, Mr. Emeka, is a businessman and mother Mrs. Ogbeta, a lecturer, the baby who weighed 2.6kg, is their first fruit after four years of marriage.
Filled with joy, Dame Okowa, sang and danced to the glory of God just as King David, not minding her social status, as family members, friends and well wishers gathered in and around the Ward to behold the First Lady, doing what she knows how to do best.
Addressing the first baby’s parents, she said: “Praised the Lord everybody. Are we glad to see 2021? It is a thing of joy. This year is a very special year. I don’t know what you told God but what I told God on the 31st day of December 2020, if nothing that I will roll for him because in 2020 we saw a lot but this God kept us alive.
“We give God praise, so many of us have been in the maternity, delivered, you have your baby and you are smiling, it is God. We want to thank God for his mercies, it is of the Lord’s mercies that we were not consumed and we know that God has already blessed this year. It is the year of restoration. Everything we lost in 2020, will be restored”.
She advised that Covid-19 protocols should be strictly adhere to, “But what I will advise, as long as we hear that Covid-19, is still leaping, it hasn’t leaped completely out, let’s endeavor to be careful. Put on your facemask so that we will not be victims, we will be victors”.
Giving more assurances of hope to other mothers who equally delivered on same day, she assured that they would see virtually all that were delivered of new borns at the hospital.
Hear her: “We are going to see virtually all that is here by the grace of God. So, on behalf of O’5 Initiative, everybody here are supporters and people who have been following us. These are the things we have brought for the star baby. Every other baby will get. God bless you my sister, you will stand up here rejoicing, you will not have any issue, as you are healing that is how the child is bouncing up and we thank God for his mercies”.
Aside the presentation of cash donations to the baby and to every mother and child in the Ward by the O’5 Initiative, she sized the medium to present a devotional book to the first baby’s mother with a charge to love Jesus as he is the reason for the season.
She appreciated the doctors and nurses that were on ground in ensuring that women puts to bed without any complications just as she prayed God to do for them what they have done for people, “you have done for people and God will do for you”.
Speaking in an interview, father of the star baby, Mr. Emeka Ogwu, said he was grateful to God, to the doctors and nurses who worked tirelessly to see that the delivery was successful.
“I am very grateful to God, the doctors and nurses who worked to see that the birth was successful, the life of the child and the mother are okay. We have been married for the past four years now, this is our first child and that is why I am very happy. I want to thank all of you, having you here is heartwarming to us”.
He appreciated the state government for the free under five and maternal health programmes, noting that the cesarean section and ante natal care periods were free, “Personally when I and my wife entered here the first day, we were so impressed. I beg that similar structures should be placed all around the state so that others will equally benefit because here is better than what we have outside. That is my own personal assessment, we thank them so much for this”.
On her part, mother of the first baby, said: “I feel so happy and I am so grateful to God. We have been married for four years now. Despite all the struggle nothing came out but this one one just came in like that, am so grateful. I feel privileged that I am the one with the first baby of the year”.
The health policy of the state government covers babies born in government hospitals from zero to five years of age, pregnant women registered in government hospitals free medical attention.
Meanwhile, the team also visited Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, where over N1. 4 million was paid as medical bills for 11 young children that were receiving treatment
Dame Okowa, disclosed that the babies couldn’t leave over inabilities to pay their bills, “What is most important to me is that there are some babies that have been here who ought to be home celebrating today but they couldn’t because they could not pay their bills. So, we are paying the bills of 11 children at the tune of N1, 439, 607.00“.
In his response, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), FMC, Dr. Victor Osiatuma, expressed joy for the visit and payment of bills for the 11 children.
“When I heard that you will be here today to pay bills, my heart leaped for joy. The reason being that your love knows no boundary, whether it is state or federal, you just have love for mankind and you have always shown it. Since you came in to power, patients that have been admitted into this hospital have always left with joy.
“Today, about 10 of these children will be going home, the joy of going home to celebrate the new year with your family, you cannot quantify it. I want to thank His Excellency, the history of this hospital will not be complete without reserving a chapter to talk about principally Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa”.
While praying for Dame Okowa, he promised to support the O’5 Initiative whenever and wherever he is invited to any of their programmes.
