By David Christopher Dari

Director of Personnel Management (DPM) Keffi Local Government Council of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed and the Keffi zonal co-ordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Mrs A.C Akuma have recommended a member of the NYSC, Mrs. Rifkatu Nghargbu serving with the Nasarawa State University, Keffi for a state and national NYSC awards for her efforts in constructing a primary health care clinic worth N6m as part of her community development project to the people of Saura village in Keffi.

The DPM and the NYSC Keffi zonal co-ordinator made the recommendations in their separate speeches delivered during the commissioning ceremony of the clinic at Saura village recently.

"Let me use this occasion to assure you that the local government will recommend the name of the initiator of this laudable project for state and national award, because as far as Keffi local government area is concerned Mrs Nghargbu serving with Nasarawa State University is a pacesetter in this regard", the DPM stated.

According to him, Mrs Nghargbu who constructed the health project has gone a long way to fully translate the ideals of the NYSC which seeks to prepare the country’s youths for future challenges of national development, adding that the initiator of the health project has engraved her name in gold owing to the significance of the project to the people of Saura village and its environs.

In her speech at the occasion, an Associate Professor, R.B Ayaniyi who represented the vice-chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Adamu Baiki described the efforts of Mrs Nghargbu as a pride not only to herself and family, but also for the state university where she’s serving as well as the community, Nasarawa state and the country as a whole.

The village head of Saura village, Alhaji Yahaya thanked the initiator, Mrs. Nghargbu for coming to their aid describing her as a star amongst many of her contemporaries.

Earlier in her speech, the initiator of the project Mrs Nghargbu said "The vision for this project was borne out of the need to identify the expedient need of the community which is a health care. The village as you can see is quite large with about five surrounding villages and Fulani settlements. I am of the opinion that only a healthy people and nation can develop and become economically productive. That is why health care delivery is in consonance with the targets of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations of health care for all by 2015, which included reduction of infant mortality, improving maternal health care and combating HIV and malaria."

Continuing, she said "this also falls in line with the president Yar’adua’s 7-point agenda for rapid economic development. It might interest you to know that the village and its environs do not even have a patent medicine shop where the commonest drug like paracetamol can be bought. This had been the driving force that led to the realization of this project."

According to her in order to enhance the immediate take off of the clinic, she decided to purchase a table BP machine, stethoscope, thermometer, examination gloves, drip hanger, a scale, wound dressing kids, Episiotomy scissors (for handling cases of delivery), mucus extractor (for babies during and after delivery), table and chair for consultation and drugs worth thousands of naira.

Highlights of the occasion included launch of one day free health care and handing over of medical equipment and drugs to the DPM Keffi local government area.