The Item community, in the Bende local government area of Abia State, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the siting of the Federal University of Medical & Health Sciences on its land.
Within the week, President Tinubu signed into law a bill establishing the Federal University of Medical & Health Sciences, Item.
In a letter of appreciation,the Item community, under the aegis of Item Development Association (IDA), signed by Sir Onwuka Orji, president general; Bishop Dr Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, chairman of IDA Board of Trustees and High Chief, Sir Akwari Ukpabi, IDA grand patron, praised President Tinubu for his visionary leadership and kind-heartedness in siting the university in their community.
The community said: “This singular act, coming at a time when Nigeria faces a pressing need for accessible and high-quality medical education, is nothing short of transformative. Your Excellency has, 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.”
The letter affirmed that the “Federal University of Medical & Health Sciences, Item, will be a notable institution in the South East geopolitical zone and the entire nation. It will serve as a hub for academic excellence, research innovation and healthcare delivery. It will also create employment, stimulate the local economy and place our dear community on the national and global map of medical advancement.”
The community said that the presence of the university in its land “will touch every home, every heart and every hopeful eye in Item. Indeed, our gratitude knows no bounds. Sons and daughters of Item, both at home and in the diaspora, celebrate this news with emotion-filled hearts and prayers of thanksgiving. It is a dream come true.
“For decades, we have yearned for such intervention—and today, it has become a reality, thanks to your magnanimity and people-centred governance.”
Item people also commend the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for his “tireless efforts, legislative acumen and unwavering commitment to his constituency,” which led to the successful sponsorship and passage of the bill.
The community said Hon. Kalu has proven to be “a true son of the soil and a shining light of representation. His name shall forever be etched in the history of Item.”
Item people enjoined President Tinubu to ensure “early appropriation for the university project and the commencement of construction work so that this noble project would be completed within your first tenure of office.”
They promised full cooperation for the actualisation of this project, pledging: “We are ready to cooperate with the authorities to indicate the exact site of the university in our community as well as any other thing that may be required.”
The community said that its people will remember President Tinubu’s gesture with reverence and pride, promising that “the people of Item will guard this legacy, nurture it and ensure it blossoms into the great and life-changing institution it is destined to be.
“We pledge our continued support as you work to build a better, stronger and more inclusive Nigeria.”
