The wife of Abia State Governor, Priscilla Otti, has expressed delight over the safe delivery of a set of quadruplets at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, describing the development as a blessing to the state.
The mother, Ifeoma Ehighibe, a native of Umuabali, Umuokpara in Umuahia South Council, was delivered of three boys and a girl through a Caesarean section. She already has two children.
Upon receiving the news, Mrs Otti directed the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Maureen Aghukwa, to lead a delegation to the hospital.
Speaking on behalf of the First Lady, Aghukwa described the multiple births as "a miracle for the family and for Abia State." She explained that Mrs Otti immediately mobilised her team to ensure the mother and babies received adequate care.
Acknowledging the challenges of raising six children under prevailing economic realities, Mrs Otti pledged continued assistance to the Ehighibe family. "We will not stop at visiting them in the hospital. We will stand by this family to ensure they have the means to raise these children successfully," Aghukwa assured.
The First Lady also promised support for other mothers of multiple births in the state through her office, urging husbands not to abandon their families during such critical times. She said her office remains open to assist families blessed with multiple children.
Beyond immediate interventions, Mrs Otti announced broader initiatives for working mothers, including the establishment of crèche facilities in government offices to create a baby-friendly environment and enhance productivity. She also encouraged nursing mothers to practise exclusive breastfeeding to promote healthy infant development.
The hospital's Medical Director, Dr Azubike Onyebuchi, represented by the Head of Nursing, Nnenna Imo, commended the governor's wife for consistently supporting vulnerable women, noting that she had often helped offset patients' bills.
Father of the quadruplets, Chibueze Ehighibe, a staff member of the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Umuahia, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for her visit and promised support. He revealed that while multiple births run in his family, this was their first recorded set of quadruplets.
The delegation also presented baby clothes, diapers, food items, bags of rice, household essentials, and cash gifts to the Ehighibe family and other nursing mothers in the hospital