Edo APC tackles Obaseki over planned demolition of Benin Central Hospital ‎

From Tony Osauzo, Benin

‎The party in statement signed by its State Assistant Publicity Secretary, Victor Osehobo, said “the plot is to convert this over 100-year old legacy asset of all Edo people into a motor park” adding “Whereas the government thinks it has this evil plot under wraps, the disgusting plan is already in the court of public opinion”.

It said it sees no wisdom in this move and is therefore urging the government to immediately put a stop to it.

The APC while faulting the reason advanced by the government for the proposed demolition of the hospital, described it as not only weird and evil but also unacceptable.

“This is because no right thinking government will prefer to replace a viable health facility, which it should equip and staff, to better cater for the well-being of the people, with a Motor Park”, the statement said.

The party recalled Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole effort to modernize the Central Hospital, Benin City and undertook the task of remodeling and reconstructing a large segment of the Hospital and equipping it with world class facilities during his tenure and said rather than following through by putting the facility to use for the benefit of the public, Governor Obaseki upon assumption of duties began a rigmarole of locking up the place, alleging that it was bereft of equipments.

“Later he threatened to probe the construction of the facility and thereafter privatized and renamed it ‘Edo Specialist Hospital’, against public outcry; making it very expensive and unaffordable to the majority of the people of Edo State.

“From obvious indications, the Governor has developed a very large appetite fed by an inordinate urge to either sell off or mortgage choice public assets of Edo people. Probably unknown to him, these legacy assets hold memories which form part of the history of the State. His government began by secretly leasing the premises of the Edo Property Development Authority complex in Benin City for a supermarket.

“Unchallenged, the government very recently, also leased or sold the multi-million Naira edifice housing the Edo Library Complex and the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, also in the state capital, for another supermarket.

“Is it that the governor is uninformed that these assets under consideration do not belong exclusively to the State Government and are not his personal properties or that of his officials and cronies, who are now masquerading as investors and for whom he is stripping the State bare of its legacies?. These assets belong to unborn generations of Edo people in the 18 local governments. The current plot, to demolish the Central Hospital negates all rationale.

“A wiser government would have redesigned and reconstructed the facility to bring them up to date, like the government of Comrade Oshiomhole did. But Mr Obaseki is not Oshiomhole and even if he aspires to be, he can never come close.  Here lies the Governor and his government’s dilemma”, the APC observed.

It said against the backdrop of these concerns and observations, it can no longer remain silent or passive and allow things that affect Edo people and potentially destroy the fortunes of generations of Edo children to continue unchecked.

“As a party, we are convinced that the current demolition plot is part of the several schemes by the PDP government to Make Edo Grounded Again (MEGA). Having studied the direction the governor and his government is going, the APC categorically declare that this move, and indeed any other move that expressly or impliedly seek to sell Edo people’s assets shall be vehemently resisted”.

The party, therefore, demanded an immediate and unconditional discontinuation of the plot to demolish the Central Hospita and an immediate and complete cessation of all MOUs or partnerships the Edo State government has entangled itself with, to warrant this sinister move.

“We want to place Governor Obaseki and his PDP government in particular on notice that the APC will hold them responsible for the extent of their complicity if they attempt to remain silent in the wake of this glaring and dubious attempt to shortchange the people of Edo by swindling them out of their legitimate inheritance”, the party said.

It urge all critical stakeholders and the public to raise their voices in defense of Edo people’s interest against this morbid scheme by those who have made it a duty to ensure that Edo State remains backward by undermining its historical, economic and social fabrics to stimulate and encourage rampant poverty, and social problems under various guises including this one.