Former President Goodluck Jonathan has underscored the importance of health as an essential aspect of national security, saying the sector needed serious investment to safeguard the population from the devastation of dangerous ailments like the Coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic.
Jonathan spoke in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state on Tuesday, when he took time out to commission the 117-years-old general hospital given face-lift by the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel, in continuation of activities marking 34 years of the state creation, on September 23, 2021.
Jonathan, who was in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, on the invitation by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) as the keynote speaker for the 2021 Physicians’ Week, said he had to take time out to commission the facility because of the importance of health to humanity.
He said: “Healthcare is key and whenever you are talking about national security, the health security aspect is quite prominent. The COVID 19 pandemic has opened the eyes of everybody.
“Administrators, politicians, professionals should understand that the health of a nation is key and we must do everything to strengthen the infrastructure to deliver the health needs based on the United Nations (UN) provision as a human right issue”.
He commended governor Udom Emmanuel, for breathing life into the facility and urged the people of the state to continue to work and encourage the governor to do more in the remaining months in office.
However, the governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Obong Moses Ekpo, said the renovation of the hospital, was part of the fulfilment of his pre-election promises to the people of the state across the 10 federal constituencies.
He assured that his administration would continue to intervene in various sectors of the state economy especially the industrialization policy, which he said, aimed at changing the hitherto civil service status of the state into an industrialized economy.
“We are changing our trajectory of development through a massive infrastructural renaissance”, he stressed, adding that the socio-economic reforms embarked upon by his administration have gone a long way towards attracting hordes of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), thereby making the state the preferred destination for visitors, tourists and investors.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Buhari Urges MTN For Quality Service, Downward Price Review In Cost Of Data, Other Services
President Muhammadu Buhari Friday at State House Abuja urged the MTN Group to make the available top-of-the-range service to its Nigerian subscribers… Health essential aspect of national security Health essential aspect of national security Health essential aspect of national security Health essential aspect of national security.