The people of Item community in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State have expressed heartfelt appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for establishing the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences in their domain. Their gratitude followed the President’s recent signing of the bill that officially created the institution.
In a letter issued under the Item Development Association (IDA) and signed by Sir Onwuka Orji (President-General), Bishop Sunday Onuoha (Chairman, Board of Trustees), and Chief Akwari Ukpabi (Grand Patron), the community hailed the President’s “visionary leadership and kind gesture” in granting a longstanding wish of the people.
“This act, coming when Nigeria faces a pressing need for accessible and high-quality medical education, is transformative,” the letter stated. “You have, through this noble gesture, not only planted a seed of educational excellence in our soil but also offered our children and generations unborn a beacon of hope and opportunity.”
Describing the new university as a significant milestone, the community noted that it will serve as “a hub for academic excellence, research innovation and healthcare delivery,” adding that the institution will stimulate the local economy, create jobs, and elevate the community’s status both nationally and globally.
“The university will touch every home, every heart and every hopeful eye in Item,” they added. “Sons and daughters of Item, home and in diaspora, celebrate this news with emotion-filled hearts and thanksgiving. It is a dream come true. For decades, we have yearned for such, and today, it has become reality, thanks to your magnanimity and people-centred governance.”
The community also showered praises on the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, whose legislative efforts and sponsorship of the bill they credited as instrumental to the university’s establishment. “Kalu has proved to be a true son of the soil and a shining light of representation. His name shall be etched in the history of Item,” the letter read.
Looking ahead, the community called on President Tinubu to ensure swift appropriation of funds and prompt commencement of construction, urging that the project be completed within his first term. They pledged total cooperation with the government, offering to help determine the university’s exact site and provide any necessary support.
“We promise to guard the project, nurture it and ensure that it blossoms into the great and life-changing institution it is meant to be,” the community leaders stated. “We pledge our continued support as you work to build a better, stronger and more inclusive Nigeria.”
