Breaking news: Pope Francis gives the highest Papal Knighthood to Prof Ilika, Anambra state former commissioner for Health

 

 www.odogwublog.com reports exclusively that His Holiness Pope Francis yesterday announced the former

Commissioner for Health Anambra state , Prof Amobi Ilika as a Knight of St Gregory the Great, the highest Papal award/honour in the Catholic Church worldwide for a laity. Ilika was a Commissioner in Ex Governor Peter Obi’s administration in Anambra state.
The Pope’s message came from the catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese , Right Reverend Hilary Odili Okeke . Bishop Okeke said the investiture would be this Saturday 16th May, 2015 at Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral , Nnewi, Anambra state .
According to Bishop Okeke, a Canon lawyer, Pope is bestowing Prof Ilika with the highest award of Knight of St Gregory the Great for his service to humanity and contributions to the Church and society.
It is on record, Professor Ilika is very active with his Pro life campaigns against legalizing abortion and he has been a voice for the unborn children and victims of violence.
Prof Ilika as a medical doctor has ran a Pro-poor and humanitarian services aimed at alleviating human suffering as well as services to the handicapped and physically challenged. He has been Chairman of Board of Trustees of RECDOCT home Ozubulu.
And as a former commissioner for Health, Prof Ilika initiated and restored grant in aid to private and missionary health institutions in Anambra state which was stopped by the Military after the war.  The robust relationship brought about the rehabilitation of Mission hospitals as well as accreditation of school of nursing and midwifery like Borrowmew hospital Onitsha, Our Lady of Lourdes Ihiala, St Joseph’s Adazi and Waterside Onitsha among others.
Ilika’s tenure witnessed the extension of health facilities to rural and difficult to reach areas like Mmiata Nnam , Osamala etc.

Photo shows Gov. Peter Obi (right) receiving the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Award from the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate (left).

www.odogwublog.com reports further that Governor Peter Obi’s administration of which Prof Ilika was a Commissioner for Health established the University Teaching Hospital Awka at Amaku General Hospital for proper training of doctors , and other health staff as well as provision of  high quality and specialist services.
Prof Ilika is among the founding father of Anambra College of Medicine , the medical school of Anambra state University , now known as Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University .
His tenure saw to the revamping , repositioning and restructuring of the Health Institutions in Anambra state  resulting in an increased immunization coverage and improvement on health indicators.  That gave Anambra award from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with a plague and N120 Million cash which Obi’s government matched it with N180 Million to build special child and mother maternities in select rural areas in the state.
Ilika’s campaign against abortion has necessitated building of cenotaph of the unborn child at St Mathew’s Catholic Church, Amawbia and St Michael’s Catholic Church Amakwa Ozubulu and even mobilized the Knighthood as the Supreme Physician of the Knight of St Mulumba to build over 20 cenotaph’s of the unborn child across Nigeria.
On youths , Ilika has been involved in youths activities , helping youths to develop right moral values, self realization .
Ilika is a Professor of Public Health at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) and an international Consultant to United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and have travelled all over including Eritrea and Sudan.
He was awarded 2006 Michael and Bell International Award for life initiatives, he shared the award with an Italian Nun.  Prof Ilika has over 60 awards from different religious and community groups as well as professional bodies for his services to humanity including the Rotary International award and Red Cross International.
He is the first Professor of Public Health in Nnamdi Azikiwe University and was a former HOD Community Medicine , NAUTH , Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) ; Member of Senate of National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria ; Member Faculty Board of Public Health, National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria as well as Member American Society of Tropical Medicine Hygiene  and member Nigeria Vision 2020  on Health thematic area to mention but a few.
As you step forward for the award this Saturday , may your days be long.