By Agwu Nwogo
The groundbreaking ceremony of the permanent site of the newly established DUFUTH College of Health Technology (CHT) at Onuoguduedu, in the heart of Amaechi Okposi, a nearby community, on Monday October 27, 2025 has birthed both applause and rancour as well as sweet and sour words, despite being a strategic move.
The detractors have recklessly injected clannish and tribal undertones into the narrative, labeling the involvement of Professor Uzoma Agwu an accomplished daughter of Uburu community and Josiah Aja the Pioneer provost of the College and a son of the soil from Amenu, a betrayal of the community’s heritage and an affront on its people.
This is not the first time these two trailblazers have come under the firing range of their kinsmen, not for any wrongdoing, but for daring to dream big for their community. When the seed of vision that has grown into a tree of prosperity today was sown by the duo in 2024, it was ridiculed by the very same elements within Uburu who now strain to claim the fruits as their own. These same folks, who once kicked over the cooking pot, now hover around the fire clamouring for a taste of the porridge they once cast aside in disdain. In a petrifying display of cluelessness, they had questioned the teaching hospital’s decision to establish a school, calling it an affront on David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS) which is nestled on the same environment. Yet this is a model replicated across the nation. For instance, the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital UNTH Ituku Ozalla, despite serving as teaching hospital for UNN College of Medicine, has a cluster of affiliated institutions including the School of Health Information Management, School of Primary Health Tutors Training Programme. Its School of Nursing was established as far back as April 1, 1973 after securing approval by the Nursing Council of Nigeria in March 1972. Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital AEFETHA in Abakaliki also parades multiple institutions including its popular College of Nursing Sciences which has received approval for post-basic training in Accident and Emergency, Nephrology among others. Back to DUFUTH.
When the federal government eventually breathed air into DUFUTH CHT nostrils in February, 2024, the institution faced a baptism of fire by those who sought to snuff out the life of the new baby and stifle its potentials and promise. Thick clouds of conspiracy gathered. Its future was uncertain, hovering between existence and oblivion. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the college miraculously survived its planned decapitation, nurtured by the steely motherly resolve of Professor Uzoma Agwu and her protégé, Josiah. Today, the College has blossomed into a beautiful bride, coveted by all; even those who once called it evil are now yearning to caress her supple bosom.
Those summoning Professor Agwu to judgement failed to understand that in establishing a school of health technology anywhere in Nigeria, there are many pieces at play, as well as protocols and conventions to follow. As a mid-level health training institution, Colleges of Health Technology are typically located outside the environment of a Tertiary Health institution to serve as network of educational hubs at the grassroot. Unfortunately critics of the school’s permanent site have made little or no effort to grasp this fundamental information.
A notable trend emerges when surveying the Colleges of Health in Ebonyi State which is that they are all strategically situated in the rural areas and not in Abakaliki or any of the urban or satellite towns, aligning with the ideal models for such institutions as advocated by the supervising Boards and Councils. For instance, Ebonyi State College of Health Sciences and Technology is located at Okposhi Eshi Ngbo in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi State, the Blessed Martins International Institute of Science and Technology is situated at Ohatekwe Amagu Ikwo, Model Institute of Health Science and Technology Iboko Izzi, Bishop Michael Okoro College of Health Technology, Ndubia. The case is not different in Enugu. The Enugu state College of Health Technology (ESCOHTECH) is located at Inyi, in Oji River. Many more examples abound.
It is a clear acknowledgement that the landscape of Uburu has evolved dramatically in the last decade with infrastructural and developmental metamorphosis that have catapulted it beyond its rural origins into a thriving urban status, courtesy of her illustrious son, Engr. David Umahi. Now, given the proposed transitioning of the College of Health Technology into the mainstream TVET programme of NBTE, locating the college outside a tertiary health institution was also a deliberate move to meet regulatory board requirements.
The argument that the college’s logo reads “DUFUTH College of Health Technology Uburu” and not “Okposi” and therefore is a patrimony of Uburu community is laughable. Ebonyi State University, for instance, still bears the affix “Abakaliki” despite having its permanent site at Ezzangbo in Ohaukwu local government area.
In itself, Uburu community stands tall as a beacon of prosperity, its landscape transformed by a surge of development that sets it apart as a crown jewel among Ohaozara communities. Having premium institutions like DUFUTH and DUFUHS is already a magnet for progress, opportunity and growth. While Uburu reaps the reward of its good fortune, it is only fitting that neighbouring communities partake in the spoils, even if only the residual benefits. Uburu cannot be like the proverbial greedy hunter, who with an elephant on his head and game on both shoulders, still stooped to grab an ant.
Beyond this, a fully established DUFUTH CHT, situated in a proper environment and setting, distinct from the teaching hospital’s location will easily secure a different budget line inclusion as a separate entity outside the shadows of “mother DUFUTH”. Conversely, courses like Pharmacy Technician, Lab Technician cannot be offered if the college is housed in the same environment as the teaching hospital. I wonder why this is not a valid concern to the critics. Locating the college separately from the teaching hospital will also attract expansion and private sector support. This is a common phenomenon, as investors are more likely to invest in institutions with room for growth, rather than those that are already saturated. This underscores the logic behind siting the college in Okposi.
DUFUTH CHT is beyond a community-benefit affair. DUFUTH, the flagship institution, is already located in Uburu, and this is a blessing in itself. However, the hospital is a national asset that would provide a springboard for the development of the entire Ohaozara, Ebonyi state and South East at large. It’s worth noting that DUFUTH has already strategically positioned some of its centres to serve the broader Ebonyi community. For instance, its three primary health centers are spread across Nwofe in Izzi local government, Mgbo in Ohaukwu, as well as Umuka and Ugwulangwu in Ohaozara. These have increased our patients load through the centres referral system. The hospital could have easily chosen the health centers at Umuobuna and Ogbuoma in Uburu, but it didn’t.
Similarly, DUFUHS, the University of Health Sciences, uses the general hospital at Onicha for primary health practice, rather than those in Uburu and Okposi. This demonstrates a commitment to meeting accreditation requirements and serving the wider Ohanivo community, rather than just focusing on one location.
Engr David Umahi a titan of note casts a monumental shadow that stretches far beyond a single community. His belief in equity is evident in the distribution of his legacy projects like stars across the firmament of the three senatorial zones, a constellation of progress that illuminates the entire state. DUFUTH embodies the majesty of an eagle of unbridled potential, spreading its wings, riding the thermals of possibility, and soaring towards the sun. To shackle its ascent is to declare war on the winds of progress, to clip its wings is to court the darkness of stagnation. Such acts of sabotage would perpetually brand the perpetrators enemy of the Ohanivo people.
Those trying to fan the embers of hatred are also reminded that having a school owned by Uburu, at Okposi will further strengthen the bond between these communities. The College of Health Technology is a symbol of unity and cooperation, and it’s poised to bring benefits to both Uburu and Okposi.
Nwogo Jnr is a journalist and Public Relations Officer of David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Uburu.
