… inaugurates Model Primary Healthcare Centre in Ikot Ekpe, Mkpat Enin
In furtherance of his administration’s commitment to providing rural communities with access to quality and affordable healthcare, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has inaugurated a Model Primary Health Centre at Ikot Ekpe in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
The facility, which was inaugurated on Monday, September 14, 2026, is expected to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services to residents of Ikot Ekpe and neighbouring communities.
Commissioning the health centre, Governor Eno said the project was in fulfilment of his promise to the people of Mkpat Enin and a practical expression of the healthcare component of the ARISE Agenda of his administration.
Represented by the Commissioner for Works, Prof. Eno Ibanga, the Governor announced that he would soon return to the local government area to commission the 10.8-kilometre Mkpat Enin–Efa Road, which links the area with Etinan Local Government Area.
In his welcome remarks, the Executive Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Engr. Emmanuel Inyang, expressed appreciation to Governor Eno on behalf of the host community and the entire people of Mkpat Enin for the healthcare facility.
He assured the Governor of the people’s continued support for his administration, saying the local government was prepared to reciprocate the Governor’s development efforts with massive support at the next election cycle.
Giving an overview of the project, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem John, said the Model Primary Health Centre was equipped with modern facilities and adequately staffed to meet the primary healthcare needs of the people of Ikot Akpe and its environs.
Dr. John stressed that residents would no longer need to travel long distances in search of basic healthcare services, particularly pregnant women and children.
In their goodwill messages, the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Obong Stephen Ntukekpo; Member representing Mkpat Enin State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Uwem-Imoh Ita; former Transition Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Lady Ekaette Usip; and President, Eket Senatorial District Women’s Forum, Dr. Idara Ephraim Akpan, expressed appreciation to Governor Eno for his development initiatives in the area.
They described the health centre as a facility built to World Health Organization (WHO) standards and expressed confidence that it would contribute significantly to reducing morbidity and mortality in the area.
The stakeholders commended the Governor for translating the ARISE Agenda into tangible projects and programmes, noting that interventions in road infrastructure, Model Schools, Compassionate Homes and healthcare, among others, were contributing significantly to the socio-economic wellbeing and improved living conditions of the people of the local government.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Patrick Eshiet, who hails from Ikot Ekpe community where the facility is located, commended Governor Eno for not only constructing the Model Primary Health Centre but also equipping it with the necessary facilities and ensuring its integration into the State’s healthcare system.
Dr. Eshiet also lauded the Governor for sustaining the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Scheme and recruiting thousands of healthcare personnel across health facilities in the State, describing the initiatives as part of the administration’s efforts to bring quality healthcare closer to the grassroots.
He expressed appreciation to the people of Ikot Ekpe for protecting the facility throughout the construction process and urged them to sustain the gesture by ensuring the continued security and proper use of the facility.