“Without him, I would have died of depression” — Dr. Ajogwu hails Ex-Gov. Ugwuanyi, endorses Gov. Mbah’s healthcare reforms
By Chinonso Val Dugwu
NSUKKA — At a recent event in Nsukka, a foremost apostle of former Enugu State Governor, Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi “Gburugburu,” broke down in an emotion-laden exchange with journalists, recounting how the ex-governor’s benevolence pulled him back from the brink of despair and shaped him into the medical doctor he is today.
Dr. George Ajogwu told journalists that his path to medicine would have remained a mirage but for Ugwuanyi’s timely intervention. He lost his father at a critical point in his education and was subsequently abandoned even by close relations — a period he described as one of the darkest chapters of his life.
“Without the former governor, Hon. Dr. Ugwuanyi Gburugburu, I wouldn’t have been somebody. He trained me, he made me a medical doctor. That’s why I call myself ‘Gburugburu-made doctor,'” Ajogwu said.
He recalled that Ugwuanyi, then a member of the House of Representatives, took him under his wing and sponsored his education at a time when he had virtually given up hope. “You can’t imagine someone like me: my father died and I abandoned school, my relations abandoned me. Until he picked me up… and trained me, and made me a medical doctor,” he said, describing his benefactor as nothing short of “a messiah.”
That gratitude, Ajogwu said, is not merely sentimental — it now translates directly into service. The widely celebrated “Gburugburu Free Surgery” initiative, which has restored countless lives across Enugu, is a direct product of the values his benefactor instilled in him. “So the entire community — we are really grateful. Today I’m a doctor because of Gburugburu,” he said, adding that his loyalty was one he would “sacrifice his life” to uphold.
Beyond the tribute, Ajogwu commended the administration of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, describing it as a seamless continuation of the developmental philosophy his predecessor established. “The present government is a continuum of the last,” he said.
He reserved particular praise for the new world-class hospital established under Mbah, which he credited with transforming healthcare delivery in the state. “We are strongly in support of our Governor, Barrister Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. He is doing very well. The one that touched us so much is the hospital he just established, which is world-class standard,” he said.
Acknowledging that governance inevitably draws criticism, Ajogwu urged residents to look past isolated grievances and recognize the broader developmental strides recorded under Mbah. “As a leader, you can’t please everybody. But let us abandon a lot of things and see the goodness in this man,” he said. “I am strongly in support of him.”
Ajogwu’s testimony adds to a growing chorus of voices in Enugu State celebrating the legacy of Gburugburu-era mentorship — and reinforcing public confidence in the direction of leadership under Mbah.