The Chairman of Akamkpa Local Government Council, Hon. Ophot Felix Akposi, KSJI, has commended the humanitarian efforts of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, for their unwavering commitment to providing emergency medical care and infrastructural support to communities in the area. Hon. Akposi, who received an MSF delegation led by Dr. Kenneth Bitskana, Project Medical Referent, lauded the organisation’s sterling track record in health interventions, capacity building, and infrastructural development across Akamkpa.
“Your activities and positive track records in Akamkpa Local Government Area have already gone ahead of you,” Akposi remarked, referencing MSF’s contributions, including the construction of staff quarters in Akor and New Ndebiji, the ongoing water project, and a series of medical training programmes. He noted that the visit would not only bolster engagement but further cement a formidable partnership poised to stand the test of time.
Beyond healthcare, Akposi highlighted MSF’s notable intervention in road infrastructure, particularly the rehabilitation of over 15 kilometres of roads across Ntebachot, Nyaje, Owom, and Achang. Expressing profound appreciation for this effort, he pledged to engage National Assembly members and the Cross River State Governor to push for the total rehabilitation and construction of the Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road, a critical route for economic and social activities in the region.
In his remarks, Dr. Kenneth Bitskana described the visit as an advocacy mission to deepen collaboration with the council and expand the scope of MSF’s impact. He enumerated various initiatives undertaken by the organisation, including the construction of health staff quarters in Akor and New Ndebiji, training of health workers on healthcare innovations, and provision of scholarships to over ten university students. According to him, MSF is not just about emergency healthcare but also about integrating and domesticating medical solutions tailored to local peculiarities.
Dr. Bitskana further disclosed that MSF operates in eleven states across Nigeria, with only two located in the South-East and South-South regions, despite the organisation’s history of humanitarian aid in Nigeria dating back to the Civil War era. He revealed that while MSF’s water project in Akamkpa had encountered some setbacks due to poor road networks, the newfound partnership with the council offered renewed confidence in resolving these challenges.
Additionally, he made a passionate appeal for the revival of the Oban Cottage Hospital, describing it as a crucial facility that, if overhauled, could significantly curtail infant mortality rates and enhance healthcare delivery in the area. MSF, he noted, had also deployed a standby ambulance service along the Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road to provide swift emergency response to medical cases arising from accidents and other emergencies.
The meeting had in attendance Hon. Emilia Katame, Vice Chairman of Council; Mr. Christian Lawrence Attah, Secretary of Council; Mr. Maurice Asengita, Supervisor for Health; Meria Nadje, Project Coordinator; and Idorenyin Inwang, Project Coordinator Support. Their presence underscored the council’s collective commitment to fostering strategic alliances for sustainable development.
As Akamkpa forges ahead in its transformational agenda, the partnership with MSF signals a new dawn of strengthened healthcare systems, improved infrastructure, and enhanced human capital development. With both parties poised to deepen collaboration, the trajectory of progress in the local government area is set to gain renewed momentum, heralding greater access to quality healthcare and essential services for its people.
