Abia First Lady, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, Celebrates Quadruplet Birth at FMC Umuahia, Assures Sustained Support for the Ehighibe Family and Other Mothers

The Wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has joined the family of Mr. and Mrs. Ifeoma Ehighibe of Umuabali, Umuokpara in Umuahia South Local Government Area, in celebrating the rare blessing of quadruplets delivered at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia.

Mrs. Ehighibe, who already had two children, was delivered of three boys and a girl through Cesarean Section last Thursday, a development widely described as a divine gift to both the family and the state.

Represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Maureen Aghukwa, the First Lady mobilized her team to ensure that the mother and her babies received immediate and adequate medical attention. She emphasized that her office would not only stand by the Ehighibe family in this moment of joy but also sustain support to ensure they have the means to raise all six children successfully.

Mrs. Otti used the occasion to remind husbands, particularly those whose wives deliver multiple children, not to abandon their families in times of need. She assured that her office remains open to support households blessed with multiple births, stressing that no mother should be left to struggle alone after bringing joy to society.

Going beyond the immediate intervention, the Governor’s Wife outlined ongoing initiatives by her office to ease the burden of nursing mothers in Abia State. She disclosed that crèche facilities have already been introduced in some government offices, with more under construction, to provide a baby-friendly workplace for civil servants and ensure improved productivity while guaranteeing proper childcare.

She further encouraged nursing mothers to adopt exclusive breastfeeding as a proven way of ensuring healthy growth and development for infants. Reiterating Governor Alex Otti’s commitment to smart health and social policies, she commended health workers at FMC for their tireless efforts in safeguarding maternal and child health.

The Medical Director of FMC, represented by the Head of Nursing, Mrs. Nnenna Imo, expressed appreciation to the Governor and his wife for consistently prioritizing the welfare of women in the state. She described Mrs. Otti as a regular visitor to the hospital, noting that her frequent interventions, including settlement of hospital bills, continue to ease the burden on vulnerable families.

In her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Affairs, Mrs. Chinenye Nwaka, described the First Lady’s visit as timely and impactful, adding that it brought joy and relief not only to the Ehighibe family but also to other nursing mothers at the facility.

The father of the quadruplets, Mr. Chibueze Ehighibe, who works with the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Afara in Umuahia North LGA, expressed deep gratitude to Mrs. Otti for remembering his family at such a critical moment. He revealed that while multiple births run in his lineage, this marked the first time quadruplets were recorded.

The visit was crowned with the donation of baby clothes, diapers, food items, two bags of rice, household essentials, and cash to the Ehighibe family. Other nursing mothers at FMC also benefitted from the First Lady’s benevolence through gift distributions fr om her delegation.