Ilile-Ohaji Community agog as Girl, 21, emerges first Medical Doctor in Imo community

www.odogwublog.com reports that for the people of Ilile-Ohaji Community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, 21 years old Chiamaka Prisca-Achonwa is their latest hero, all thanks to her resilience to complete studies to emerge a qualified Medical Doctor.
However, the Ilile-Ohaji Community, an agrarian community has produced many technocrats in different professions but only secured its first Medical Doctor.
Dr. Achonwa, was among 44 medical students who graduated from Abia State University Uturu in 2016, but were just inducted  on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at Uturu.
Dr Achonwa is a daughter to a retired Police Officer, Chief Godwin Achonwa who is currently over the moon for the feat achieved by his daughter.
At a reception in her honour, the young Doctor Achonwa in Owerri, said she was elated to have broken the jinx of being first indigenous medical doctor in Ilile community.
Beaming with smiles, she explained that she had always nursed the ambition to be a Medical Doctor from childhood, saying "now am simply overwhelmed with joy, God has helped me, my dream has come true. I am now a Medical Doctor, the very first from my community, this is a great honour for me. As a woman, God has helped me to succeed where many have failed".
Achonwa said she was not perturbed if anybody from her community had ever studied medicine or not before venturing into the programme, but was strongly inspired to pursue her life dream and improve on the healthcare of her people.
The young doctor used the medium to appeal to the Nigeria government to invest heavily in medical infrastructure in Nigeria with a view to reducing the current trend of foreign medical mission.
"We as Medical Doctors in Nigeria are well trained to provide the best healthcare services, but most times the facilities are not there to support our operations and this can be demoralizing, knowing you can function better but unfortunately cannot afford all the equipment".
According to her, if Government helps to provide state-of-the-art equipments to aid diagnosis and treatment, the number of Nigerians seeking better medical treatment will reduce, just as the resources will not be exported to other countries". 
Speaking to aspiring Doctors, the young Doctor said "now I know dreams do come true, that we should not limit ourselves in our thinking. If I as a daughter of a retired Policeman can become a Doctor, then anybody can become anything God willing".
She encouraged other young people especially those from her Ilile community to have great vision in life and work towards realizing them, saying "through positive dreams, one can end up great in life".
On the motivation behind her concentration to her studies in the face of many distractions and cosmetic lifestyle of some Nigerian undergraduates on campus, she said that most students who run around politicians abandoning their studies are usually driven by greed to reap benefits before investing time.
"It is greed that often expose young ladies in school to run after politicians, anyone sincere to herself will sustain herself in school with whatever she gets from her parents and close relations", she noted.
Father of the young doctor and retired police officer, Chief Godwin Achonwa, said he was thankful to God that her daughter emerged the first Medical Doctor from his community.
Achonwa said as a policeman he never collected bribe to invest in the training of his children, saying "my motivation in ensuring that all my three children became university graduates was to change the impression that Ohaji people don’t aspire for higher things  in life".
While Mrs Stella Achonwa, the mother of Chiamaka described the graduation of her daughter as "answered prayers for the family" and urged parents to give equal opportunities to the training of their female and male children.
Speaking, another indigene of Ilile community and Imo State correspondent of Daily Trust newspapers, Mr JohnKennedy Uzoma, said the people will hold a thanksgiving to formally thank God for making it possible for Ilile to produce a medical doctor.


By Angela Nkwo-Akpolu

PICTURE CAPTION:
DR. CHIAMAKA PRISCA ACHONWA, THE FIRST MEDICAL DOCTOR FROM ILILE OHAJI COMMUNITY OF IMO STATE (M), FLANKED BY HER FATHER CHIEF GODWIN ACHONWA AND MOTHER, LOLO STELLA ACHONWA IN PHOTOGRAPH DURING A RECEPTION IN CHIAMAKA'S HONOUR AFTER HER INDUCTION CEREMONY AT ABIA STATE UNIVERSITY, UTURU RECENTLY.