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Chief Godwin Obla, SAN has endowed academic and career prizes for graduating Medical Students in the premier Federal University of Health Sciences at Otukpo, the traditional headquarters of the Idoma Nation. The Prizes are in four categories.
In the first category is Dr Edwin Idoko Obe Prize for the Best Overall Graduating Medical Student. It is in memory of Dr Edwin Idoko Obe, the very first Medical Doctor of the Idoma extraction.
The Joseph Elagbaje Obla, Snr Best Graduating Medical Student in Internal Medicine in honour of his late father makes the next category of the prize.
The third category is the Judith Ogwa Obla Prize for Best Graduating Medical Student in Nephrology. This is in memory of his late wife.
The last but not in any manner the last category of the prize is the Godwin Odumu Obla Prize for Best Graduating Medical Student in Urology.
Each of the prize is worth N10million, putting the quartet package at a whooping value of N40million. The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Prof. Innocent Ujah asserted that “the Bank Draft of the total sum has been presented to FUHSO” when he was contacted.
In the course of the well-attended ceremony on 17th April 2023, speeches were made that touched the conscience and hearts of everyone in attendance.
The high point of the occasion was the appreciation speech by the family of Late Chief Dr Edwin Idoko Obe, a man of many firsts. He is the very First Idoma Medical Doctor, the first Benue State Medical Doctor, the first to build a private hospital in North Central and third in Nigeria. He is referred to as the Father of Medical Practice in Benue State, on whom Chief Obla placed the prize of the Overall Best Student In Medicine in the foremost institution, FUNSHO. He was reprented by the children Audu, Omada and Ewaoche, the OBEs.
The speech by Chief Benjamin Ewaoche Obe on behalf of the Obe family, regarded as one of the best and made available to us, was what every Idoma sons and daughters needed to take home.
Delivering the impacting message for the family, Chief Benjamin Ewaoche expressed profound appreciation to Chief Godwin Obla for the noble gesture extended to their father. Without mincing words but in the character of the family by speaking the truth, he prayed solemnly for Chief Obla, casting and binding every negative tendencies of any dimension targeted at him and his family. The bounties and Divine Mercy of the Almighty God shall remain with the benefactor, he further supplicated.
Furthermore, according to Chief Ewaoche’s account as one of those who have lived as ‘Obla Boys’ who know the personality in him, this gesture is to the entire Idoma extraction and expects everyone to take a clue of it. He appealed for a change of heart in Idoma land so that growth will manifest.
Finally, he stated categorically clear without fear or favour, that ‘all our Idoma brothers and sisters who are in positions of influence should not see themselves as gods, but see such as God given…’ While closing on his speech, he charged the people that everybody should make efforts to do something as little in front of their houses, and collectively, the present backward predicament in the land would be tamed. ‘We should avoid the prevalent backbiting, backstabbing, blackmail and gossip attitude, perceiving enemies and writing petitions against each other; but rather expend such energies and resources to avenues as what Chief Obla is doing across the Zone’ formed part of his speech.
The spectacular index of the occasion rotates on the pivot of trailblazing. While Chief Godwin Obla blazed the apex legal professional status in the Idoma Nation, Dr Edwin Obe did so in Medical Practice and establishing of a private hospital; as the Federal University of Health Sciences in Otukpo is the first of its kind, so also is Prof Innocent Ujah its first Vice-Chancellor. It is really interestingly a crowning feat that the set of packaged academic prizes are also a first of its kind in the institution.
In attendance at the ceremony were high-profile dignitaries along with His Royal Majesty Och’Idoma V, the Benue State Deputy Governor, Engr Benson Abounu, Deputy Governor-Elect, Dr Sam Ode, Most Distinguished Senator Abba Moro, House of Representatives Member Ottah Agbo, Catholic Bishop of Otukpo Diocese, Most Rev. Dr Michael Apochi, Clergymen, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Members of the Bar and Bench as well as that of Nigerian Medical Association, among others too numerous to mention.