Rents apartment, provides 2yrs allowance for her family
Ebonyi State Governor has come to the aid of the ‘pure’ hawker and mother of five who gave birth to triplets on July 29, 2019 at the Mother and Child Health Centre, Azuiyiokwu, 14.B Convent road Abakaliki.
Mrs. Ngwoke is a native of Agbaja Unuhu Community, but her family was among those displaced from their homes in some parts of Agbaja Unuphu community in Izzi Local Government Area of the state by the Governor, Martin Elechi administration, which landed them in completed building.
The family’s land was acquired by the past administration for the development of Ocho-udo City, now renamed Centenary City, and according to her, no compensation was paid to them.
Having given birth to five children before the arrival of the triplets, Mrs. Ngwoke was confused as to whether it was a gift or burden mostly as their only source of livelihood was ‘pure’ water hawking which she does.
A Good Samaritan paid for the hospital bills after the delivery, but Mrs. Ngwoke couldn’t leave the hospital with the triplets because they had no conducive place to keep the infants.
It would be recalled that in our last two editions where we interacted with the woman, she disclosed that she was delivered of her triplets on Monday 29th July and since then; she has remained in the hospital because she has no home to go to and cannot afford to feed the new born babies.
She narrated that she hawks sachet water while her husband Mr. Chinedu Okpuru Ngwoke, who used to be a businessman, currently has nothing doing and that she had already given birth to five children before the triplets, making it a total of eight children.
Her husband, Mr. Chinedu Okpuru Mgboke, told The Voice that he used to have twelve (12) rooms bungalow at the now timber shade before it was demolished during Ex-governor Elechi’s regime and currently, they are staying in an uncompleted building after Hausa quarters.
Both parents of the triplets appealed to well meaning Ebonyians and the government to come to their aid as they do not have the financial capacity to take care of the children.
“I am happy for the gift God has given my family but my present situation has made this gift look like a burden. I appeal to the general public and the government to come and help us. I gave birth to my triplet on Monday, 29th July and since then, we have been here. We don’t have where to lay our heads and food to eat.
“My husband currently does nothing for a living. I used to hawk sachet water but with my triplet, I cannot do that now. Where we are staying now is an uncompleted building after Ogbe Hausa. My Children and I need help. I have given birth to five children before these ones.
On her part, Mrs. Odoh Elizabeth, the Officer In Charge (OIC) of the health center, stated that it was in her opinion that they stay back in the hospital since they lack proper accommodation for the newborn babies.
She disclosed that the woman does not feed well and at such hinders the proper flow of breast milk from her breast and that the woman’s condition requires that supplements be made available for the triplets.
Mrs. Odoh narrated that she was the person that supported the woman financially and medically all through her antenatal period and appealed to the general public to come to the aid of the woman and her children.
“On 29th July 2019, I had these triplets here in MCH Azuiyiokwu. Their hospital bill which is 6,000 naira has already been paid by a Good Samaritan but I asked them to stay because I saw that they still need care.
“I found out that the woman is from a poor family. I was the person that supported her all through her antenatal period because she could not pay for her drugs and ultrasound.
“So I am appealing that people should come and help so that we can give these children life. For them to live, they need clothing and milk because their mother cannot feed them with breast milk only. The mother needs cloth and food too. Mrs. Odoh disclosed.”
Meanwhile, on reading the sorrowful state of the woman and her triplets on the newspaper, Governor Umahi on Thursday directed the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development and all the Special Assistants on Women Affairs to team up and search out for the woman and her family and rent a decent apartment for them.
Umahi also directed that the mother and her triplets be sent back to the hospital for proper medical evaluation.
The governor despite being in Bayelsa State on an official assignment when he got the report, also directed that the cumulative bill, including two years upkeep allowance for the mother and her children, be put together and brought to him.
“I apologize to the woman on behalf of Government, even though it was not under my administration but governance is a continuous process,” he added
