Ohaa Honours DSS Invitation, Says “The People Must Come First”

ENUGU — The Enugu State governorship candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), Sir Chinyeaka Christian Ohaa, has honoured an invitation by the Department of State Services (DSS) following his recent visit to Parklane Hospital, Enugu.

Ohaa responded to the invitation on Thursday, saying he decided to honour it because his actions and public advocacy are driven by the welfare and interests of the people of Enugu State.

The NDC candidate maintained that the controversy surrounding his visit should not overshadow the fundamental issue that prompted his intervention — the need for a functional healthcare system that places the lives, dignity and wellbeing of citizens above political considerations.

“The people must come first — their health, their dignity, their lives and their future.”

Ohaa had visited Parklane Hospital following reports concerning accident victims and the state of healthcare services at the facility amid the ongoing industrial action involving resident doctors.

According to information available to the governorship candidate, the DSS invitation followed a petition reportedly submitted by the Enugu State Government, alleging that Ohaa entered the hospital premises without authorisation.

The development has since generated political reactions, with Ohaa's camp questioning why a governorship candidate's visit to a public hospital to identify with accident victims and raise concerns about healthcare delivery should result in an invitation from a security agency.

His supporters have described the visit as a humanitarian intervention aimed at drawing attention to the difficulties confronting residents who require medical care.

They also argued that the controversy has further brought public attention to the disruption of healthcare services amid the industrial action by resident doctors.

Despite the political dimension surrounding the development, Ohaa said his interaction with DSS officials was cordial, describing the officers he met as polite, professional and courteous throughout the engagement.

He also expressed confidence in the ability of the security agency to confront security challenges in Enugu State, while calling on the state government to provide effective leadership and play its expected role in the state's security architecture.

Ohaa insisted that the invitation would not discourage him from speaking on issues affecting ordinary citizens.

According to him, his intervention at Parklane was not motivated by personal or political advantage but by concern for citizens who depend on public healthcare facilities and expect government to protect their lives and dignity.

He stressed that the people of Enugu deserve a healthcare system in which human life remains the highest priority.

 “For the mother who needs care, the child who needs treatment, the family that cannot afford to lose a loved one, and every Enugu citizen who deserves accessible and functional healthcare, the people must come first,” Ohaa said.

The NDC candidate pledged to continue using his voice to draw attention to issues affecting residents of the state, maintaining that the ultimate measure of public leadership should be its impact on the lives, welfare and wellbeing of the people.

The development adds a fresh political dimension to the ongoing debate over healthcare delivery in Enugu State, with Ohaa's camp framing the episode as a broader question of whether citizens' welfare should remain at the centre of public leadership.