By Ikemefuna Ikem
An atmosphere of celebration, gratitude and communal pride enveloped Edem-Ani Ogwugwu Ancient Kingdom in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, on Monday as Princess Stephanie Asadu, daughter of the traditional ruler, HRM Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu (Jr.), donated a utility vehicle, a 2014 Toyota Camry, to the community hospital in a gesture widely hailed as a major contribution to healthcare development and improved service delivery in the area.
The vehicle was formally presented to members of the hospital’s Board of Trustees by HRM Igwe Samuel Asadu and subsequently handed over to the hospital management by Mrs Roseline Ezeugwu, secretary of the BoT, during a colourful ceremony held at the hospital premises in Ugbogidi/Ozalla village of the community.
The donation by Princess Stephanie was greeted with applause and admiration, with many members of the community describing the gesture as evidence that the younger generation of the royal family is prepared to sustain the long-standing legacy of service, generosity and philanthropy associated with the Royal family.
Represented by her father, Igwe Asadu, popularly known as "Igwe Ogadagidi," Princess Stephanie explained that she was moved by divine inspiration to donate, accompanying her father to a Board of Trustees meeting of the hospital in December 2025 during a visit from the United States of America. She said that witnessing the hospital's progress and the community's determination to sustain its operations motivated her decision to support the initiative.
“I was inspired by God to make this donation to my Community's hospital after I had accompanied my father to a BoT meeting of the hospital in December 2025 and witnessed the interaction there.
“I was happy to have witnessed the meeting, and because my parents are givers and my grandfather was also a giver, I said I would give what I have to support the running of the hospital”, she said.
Earlier in his remarks, Igwe Asadu, who is also the Chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council in Enugu State and former Chairman of the South-East Traditional Rulers Council, said the hospital was established not as a profit-making venture but as a humanitarian project designed to address the healthcare needs of not only the people of Edem-Ani but residents across Enugu State and beyond. He noted that the facility remains the first free hospital in South-East Nigeria.
“This hospital is like a mission hospital. Nobody makes a profit from it. It is the first free hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria”, he said.
The monarch traced the history of the hospital to a time when the people of Edem-Ani community allocated him a parcel of land to build his palace. Rather than use the land for personal purposes, he said he chose to dedicate it to a project that would directly benefit the people.
According to him, the hospital, which was established out of the urgent need to improve healthcare services in the community, was built in 2018 and officially commissioned in 2019, with Prof. Felix Asogwa serving as Chairman of its Board of Trustees. He added that for the past seven years, the hospital has continued to function successfully without major challenges.
Igwe Asadu further disclosed that his inspiration to establish the hospital was deeply rooted in the legacy of his late father, Sir Samuel Ejikeme Asadu, who was known during his lifetime for treating patients almost free of charge. He said he inherited that passion for service and eventually became a trained and qualified nurse in the United States.
“My family and I are here to show gratitude, and to thank God for what He has done for us. I was a nobody, and God made me somebody. I was just a common nurse, but God made me a king, not just a king but king of kings, and eventually I found myself in a place called Edem-Ani Ancient Kingdom, where God told me to go and make them proud”, he said.
The royal father commended members of the community, the Board of Trustees, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr Odo Abangwu Emmanuel Chikaodili, whom he described as a dedicated medical practitioner, members of the hospital management, and friends of the institution for identifying with the family during the event.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Felix Asogwa, the Secretary of the Board, Mrs Roseline Ezeugwu, expressed deep appreciation to Princess Stephanie for what she described as a historic and symbolic donation, noting that the gesture reflected her uncommon love for her people and commitment to community welfare.
She said the young princess had demonstrated readiness to continue in the footsteps of her father, whose reign, according to her, has consistently been associated with peace, development and an unwavering commitment to placing Edem-Ani first in matters concerning collective progress and wellbeing, adding that the vehicle will be deployed imminently to enhance the hospital's quick response to emergency and service delivery.
Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Odo, described the donation as both an appreciation of the hospital management’s efforts and an encouragement to sustain quality healthcare service delivery. “This is a thank you for a job well done and a call for them to keep doing well”, he said.
Other speakers at the event, including the Hospital Administrator, Joseph Ugwuanyi, the royal father’s Chief of Staff, John Okanya, and the community youth leader, Ezema Hyacinth Tobechukwu, expressed profound gratitude to the donor. They noted that the vehicle would greatly improve mobility and operational efficiency at the hospital, particularly in responding to urgent medical situations and strengthening healthcare delivery to residents of the community and neighbouring areas.
They thanked the monarch for building, equipping and donating the hospital for free to the community, noting that the hospital is helping rural dwellers to access sound and quick healthcare services.
Our reporter gathered that Igwe Ogadagidi is known as a major philanthropist and community developer. His gestures focus on providing housing for the widows and the less privileged, youth empowerment, education, healthcare, and infrastructure, among others.
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