…Commissions Water Project At Calabar Watt Market
By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
About 500 residents of Cross River State were on Tuesday in the state enrolled in the state insurance health care scheme, otherwise known as Ayadecare.
Ayadecare, an initiative of the state governor, Prof Ben Ayade, which the governor initiated to ensure that everyone residing in the state have sound health.
With that enrollment, beneficiaries of the Ayadecare Health Insurance Scheme would have no business paying from their pockets to take care of their health.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of the second phase in support of the initiative, the Chairman/Founder Ben Akak Foundation, BAF, Ben Akak, canvassed for support for the Ayade-led administration, so that the governor can round off without any hitch.
While addressing the beneficiaries of the scheme at the premises of one of the medical centres in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, Akak stressed that it is only when people have good health that they would be able to meaningfuly contribute their quota towards the development and growth of the state, in particular, and the nation at large; calling on all to key into the scheme.
He said, “What I am doing right now is to achieve quality healthcare for our people, as almost every one is driving towards achieving universal adult health coverage, where everyone is not supposed to pay out of their pockets to get their health restored.
“Health, they say, is wealth; with good health, a lot can be achieved in this state. When the people are healthy, the state is sure of having a good labour force.
“When a labour force is in order, everyone is bound to contribute his or her quota towards the development and growth of the state and the nation at large.”
Responding, the Director-General, DG, Ayadecare, Dr. Godwin Iyiala, stated that those who had keyed into the scheme are sure of securing good health, as the scheme is capable of taking care of some major ailments as HIV/AIDS, and several other terminal diseases troubling residents of the state.
Dr Iyiala added, “It’s a very good decision for most of you who have keyed into the scheme. The benefits would be known when you are in dire need to get medical attention when need be.”
Akak also visited the Irua Watt market and commissioned a mini-water scheme project, worth millions of naira in Hewert Street, to give succour to traders doing business in that community, but had been in dire need of water.
According to Akak, the potable drinking water commissioned at Hewert community, would assist the market women, not to stress themselves again in search of water, when they open their shops to do business.
He said that 80 per cent of the ailments troubling the people of the state is associated to bad water intake and charged residents of the area to guard the facility jealousy, and to see the water project as theirs, and keep vandals at bay from wrecking destruction upon the water project.
One of the residents of Hewert community, Mr. John Effiong, who expressed happiness as he spoke with our reporter, commended Ben Akak Foundation for siting the water project in their community, calling on God to assist him in all his human endeavors.
Akak further handed over a dummy cheque of N500,000 to the DG Ayadecare Insurance Scheme, Dr. Iyiala, before the ceremony winds to an end.
