By Steve Ovirih.
Ondo South Senatorial District is heavily populated with a population spread cutting across six local government areas of Okitipupa,Odigbo, Ile Oluji/Okeigbo, Irele,Ilaje and Ese Odo Council areas. With an average annual growth rate of approximately 2.7% based on projections from the National Bureau of Statistics and UN data for Ondo State, the district has a projected population of 5.7 Million in 2025. For a population this large, the health concern of the constituents cannot but become a matter of top priority for the Senator representing the district at The Senate, Distinguished Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, CFR.
It is noteworthy that Ondo State Government has Primary healthcare centers across the state and a notable number of these healthcare centers are in Ondo South with facilities taking care of the people in the grassroots. Instructively, the location of a Federal Medical Presence will go a long way in complementing the activities of the Primary Healthcare facilities particularly in a district like Ondo South where none of such humongous Federal presence of medical concern is available.
Expectedly, in the sponsoring of motions and bills on the floor of The Red Chamber, the lawmakers across respective districts put forward matters of concern to their districts and constituents in such manners that when such bills are passed, they attract development that ease challenges and make life more comfortable for their people. It is understandable that the Ondo South Senator wants a Federal Hospital in Ondo South and his location preference for such federal medical facility is notably a matter of taking medical succour to the real grassroots people at the other extreme end of the Senatorial district, Ajagba.
Ajagba, a locality in Ondo South is geographically located in Ese Odo Local Government, sharing upland boundaries with places like Akotogbo, Iyansan, Alaafia, Ago-George, Irele among other neighbouring communities. Thus, for Distinguished Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, wanting a Federal Hospital sited at Ajagba is a strategic move aimed at catering to the health concern of people along the entire swathe of Ese-Odo, who occupy the coastal and creek communities , the upland people of Irele /Okitipupa as well as Ilaje and beyond.In recent years, there has been an increase in ‘medical tourism’ for people in the hinterland of Ajagba and their neighbours to Owo where exists the only federal medical hospital in Ondo State and distance has always been a harrowing challenge for people seeking urgent medical attention of consultants and health experts. In places across Ondo South where there are State Specialist Hospitals and General Hospitals , the presence of a Federal Medical Center will allow for synergy and reduce incidents of medical referrals straight out of the district.
Distinguished Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has packed all his punch and threw his weight behind the demand for the establishment of the Federal Hospital in Ajagba. “The hospital must be built without delay,” he emphasized, even as he added that the center will be poised to take care of the medical needs of the people of his Senatorial District.
The time tested saying ‘health is wealth’ is brought to significance in the demand of Senator Ibrahim for the location of the federal health facility in his district. Hear him: ” As a matter of urgency and necessity, the Federal Ministry of Health should ensure a well equiped hospital is built in Ajagba community to reduce the risk and stress of residents of Ondo Southern Senatorial District travelling several miles to Owo Federal Medical Center for medical Services. “
There is no gainsaying the fact that citizens of Nigeria of Ondo South extraction stand to benefit a great deal from the establishment of a Federal Hospital in the district as there will be influx of specialized medical officers across diverse fields of medicine and a variety of professional health workers catering to the needs of the good people of Ondo South. What is more? Medical equipment of varying degree will also find their way into Ajagba which use will bring ease to Ondo South constituents. It is no surprise then that Ondo South Senator, Distinguished Senator Jimoh Ibrahim is reiterating the establishment of the all important Federal presence in his district; as far as showing concern for the healthy well-being of his people is concerned, the federal hospital is a dream that must materialize.
Aseyori Editor2
- October 12, 2025
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