The Elusive Abia Medical City, AI-Generated Airport Visuals, and Other Social Media Hype That Flooded Our Screens By Obinna Oriaku

ONN Abia 26.05.2025

Take, for example, the much-publicized Abia Medical City. The so-called investors, MKP Global, have reportedly been shopping the same proposal across South-East states. One particular state

https://enugustate.gov.ng/2024/07/20/enugu-govt-and-us-investors-have-sealed-a-300-million-deal-to-establish-a-medical-city quietly handed over land for the project and moved on understanding that as a private initiative, it wasn’t worth staking their reputation on. That state, however, has gone on to commission over 260 primary health centres and is currently constructing a 360-bed specialist hospital now at 70% completion without the noise or media fanfare.

But in Abia, it’s a different story. The state government has chosen to appropriate and hype this still-theoretical project, months after its supposed launch. Eight months later, not even a single block has been laid for this $1.3 billion “game-changer.” Why all the noise and deception?

It is even more personal for me this so-called medical city is to be located near my village. In our culture, it is unbecoming for a father to boast that his son just grew pubic hair. I advise the government not to allow distractions such as this derail its broader health sector agenda. Yes, the project could bring jobs to locals, but let’s tone down the $1.3 billion rhetoric. If you understand the true weight of a $1.3 billion FDI, you’d be cautious even mentioning it.

Who are the people behind MKP Global? What is their track record? Do they have any similar projects anywhere in the world, or is Abia their guinea pig? A quick online search reveals little that inspires confidence. We’ve seen this movie before: individuals brandishing MOUs and Certificates of Occupancy in a bid to raise funds that never materialize. Remember the failed monorail project in Enugu under Governor Sullivan Chime? They eventually came back seeking sovereign guarantees that was where it ended. Let’s not deceive ourselves.

Another example is the Abia Industrial Innovation Park (AIIP) at Ukwa. Basic groundwork wasn’t done, yet it was heralded as a flagship achievement. Today, the location is overrun by reptiles. Not only has the access road been abandoned, but no signs of life exist in what was once celebrated as a landmark project.

What about the Radisson Blu Hotel and the Enyimba Hotel revival? Eight months after the much-publicized MOU, there’s still no site clearing, no preliminary work, only audio development.

Then there’s the hyped 20-unit electric bus project, still stuck with manufacturers. Other states have quietly launched fleets of 100 buses without media drama. We need clarity who is funding this? Is it a private sector-led initiative or fully government-funded? Don’t you think that Abians deserves transparency.

The second-year anniversary of the present administration is around the corner, and it appears many of these exaggerated announcements were simply laid out as a buffer to mask a lack of substantive achievements.

Remember Project Ekwueme, the Primary Health Centres that were to be completed within 100 days? It’s been over 180 days and counting. Where are the general hospitals and the 168–204 promised PHCs? Many of these sites were reportedly abandoned due to lack of mobilization payments, yet the funds for media hype were readily available.

What happened to the bus terminals in Aba and Umuahia, flagged off with much ceremony on May 29 last year by Mrs. Ifejika of BrintanU? The Umuahia site is now a dumpsite. All of it was staged for photo ops and media applause mostly from online “Media Abians” and praise-singers.

And what about the Nsulu Games Village, another campaign promise? Suddenly, the narrative has shifted to a proposed private stadium in Umuahia, with claims that an investor will build it and somehow recoup billions in Abia, a state not known for sports dominance. Our standing on the National Sports Table says it all. Which serious investor would bypass Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, or Delta to invest billions in Abia sports infrastructure?

The media buzz surrounding the Nsulu Airport project created needless controversy. What could have been a productive federal initiative has been politicized. The governor himself admitted uncertainty about the state’s contribution versus the federal government’s role. Basic administrative clarity is lacking, but AI-generated airport visuals and social media hype flooded our screens. All for what? Accolades from the gullible?

We await their usual convoluted defense about IGR growth. But let’s face the facts. The state’s IGR stood at N1.7 billion in March and N1.9 billion in April, figures that are actually lower than what the previous administration handed over. What changed? The current government implemented a full Treasury Single Account (TSA), meaning all school fees and levies from ABSU, Abia Poly, ABSUTH, and HMB are now lumped into IGR figures, creating an illusion of growth. Meanwhile, Imo State is doing over N5 billion monthly.

Two Years On, What Have We Gained? As this administration marks its second year, it’s time to pin them down both on their lies and any areas they’ve performed well. We acknowledge some improvements, such as the cleanliness of Aba, the Port Harcourt Road rehabilitation, and the Ovom erosion control project. Credit must also go to the APC-led Federal Government for institutional reforms that made substantial funds available to all tiers of government.

Yet, two years on, many civil servants and pensioners remain unpaid or partially paid. Pension verification is still ongoing as of last week, and the issues surrounding the forced forfeiture of pension and gratuity remain unresolved.

What Abia needs now are impactful, tangible projects that address the rising cost of living not media-driven illusions designed to mislead the public and secure applause with empty hands.

©️EKWEDIKE

Obinna Oriaku