By Huldah Shado
The wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, has welcomed the first baby of 2026 delivered at the Akirika Ukwu Primary Healthcare Centre, Ukwa East Local Government Area.
The baby girl, Oluebubechi Nwatuobi Excessgrace, was born at 12:43 a.m. on January 1, 2026, weighing 3kg, making her the first recorded birth in the state this year.
To mark the occasion, Mrs Otti presented the newborn and her mother with food items and sanitary materials, alongside a ₦1 million cash gift, aimed at supporting the mother’s nutrition and wellbeing during the nursing period.
She also gave the baby an additional name, “Ihuoma,” praying that the child would grow in peace and favour.
Mrs Otti described the birth as a positive start to the new year and a reflection of improvements in the state’s primary healthcare system, urging expectant mothers to patronise government health facilities.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Enoch Uche, praised the First Lady’s support for the health sector, while the baby’s parents, Mr Nwatuobi Chiagozie and Mrs Blessing Chinagozie, expressed gratitude for her gesture.
