PHOTOS: "Tallest Hospital Building Being Constructed In Anambra State By Nigerian-US Based Medical Doctor-An Eyewitness

Yesterday, I visited Umuchukwu (former Nkerefi) in Orumba South L.G.A of Anambra State, at the site of the "Tallest Building in Both South East and South South, with the exception of PH, being constructed by one Dr. Godwin Somebody (have forgotten his surname), a US based medical doctor from Umuchukwu town...... As you may know, one of the ways we Architects learn and perfect so much in our works is through travel, especially for sight seeing of this nature. I saw this building on facebook some months ago,

lots of stories told about the building, so I decided to visit the site to see things for myself and to also know which is the truth. So, I set off yesterday to the site of the building, and even though I missed my route cos I had not gone to that area for the 1st time in my life, I still was able to locate it at the long last cos I was determined to visit the site. Probably, I got the wrong information cos, instead of going to "Umuchukwu town" I went to "Umuchu town" from where I discovered I had taken the wrong route to the wrong town. But even at that it wasn't so bad cos it was a good opportunity for me to discover most of the towns I have been hearing their names without knowing actually where they are. Towns like..... Akpo, Achina, Umuchu, Ajali, Ndiowu, Umunze, Amaokpala, Ndikelionwu, Omogho and whole lots of them I can't even remember their names again..... However, I was a kind of embarrassed at Umuchu when I discovered that almost all the people I spoke to didn't even know about the building. But thanks to one of the security officers there who redirected me to the actual site I was looking for.
As you can see, the building is a 16 storey building, still under construction which means that my visit was timely, as it enabled me to see almost all the elements that made the building to look the way it is. It is an assemblage of monstrous colonnade, beams and cotton walls, no single block work, or maybe that one will come much later. Meanwhile, rumour has it that the building is a hospital and all that, but my discovery shows that even the workers at the site and some of the natives of the town don't even know what the building is. But from my professional observation, I think the owner is building either a complex or a 5-star hotel in his community, who knows? But whatever it is that Dr. Godwin is building right in his own village is highly commendable as this poses a serious challenge to some of our EFULEFU brothers who see Lagos and Abuja as their homes, despite what they are being subjected to in those cities. I immediately gave this building a name at the site..."AKU LUE UNO, OKWUO ONYE KPARA YA," meaning "when wealth gets home, it explains who owns/makes it."
As I couldn't see most of the machines and equipment used for the construction, I was made to understand that Dr. Godwin (a bosom friend of the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi) has moved all those equipment to Awka, the state capital where he is planning to build another 24 storey building..... Dr Godwin didn't just start building this house in his village overnight, I was also able to discover that Dr. Godwin had already executed lots and lots of other projects that a lot of people didn't even know about, it was this tall building that brought his name to limelight. Other projects he executed for the town include, a catholic church, an Anglican church all by himself, houses to the poor, a branch of the state high court that is presently being furnished, a functional hospital, road surfacing and whole lots of others. Infact, he was the one that changed the name of the town from "Nkerefi" to "Umuchukwu" which brought light to the town.

In all these, all I can say is "Chukwu Gozie Gi, biko Gozie Ndi Obodo GI (If God Blesses You, please Bless Your People)....... God bless Dr. Godwin, God bless Umuchukwu town and God bless Anambra State, my one and only lovely State..... The light of the the nation!!!.