The Delta State House of Assembly has approved Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori’s request to transfer the General Hospital, Otor-Udu, to the Federal Ministry of Health, paving the way for the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Ovwian, Udu Local Government Area.
The approval was granted at Tuesday’s plenary after the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor read a letter from the Governor seeking the House’s endorsement.
In the letter, Governor Oborevwori explained that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, had indicated readiness to convert the existing General Hospital into a Federal Medical Centre in a bid to expand access to quality healthcare services in the state.
He noted that, under the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), all buildings, infrastructure, staff, and other assets of the hospital would be handed over to the Federal Ministry of Health for the facility’s full takeover.
The motion for approval was moved by the Leader of the House, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, and seconded by Hon. Oboro Preyor, representing Bomadi Constituency. The House unanimously endorsed the request.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Anti-Terrorism and Anti-Cultism (Amendment) Bill, 2025, scaled through second reading during the same plenary.
Leading debate on the amendment, Hon. Nwaobi highlighted gaps in the existing legislation, particularly the absence of clear definitions for the terms “cultist” and “cultism,” which he said had hindered judicial interpretation and effective enforcement.
The Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Arthur Akpowovwo, alongside Honourable members Perkins Umukoro, Matthew Omonade, Austine Uroye, and Frank Esenwa, supported the amendment, stressing the urgency of strengthening the law to ensure proper prosecution of offenders.
In another development, Hon. Nwaobi, who also chairs the Joint Committee, presented the committee’s report on the Delta State Hospital Management Board (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
