The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in Edo state, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other concerned authorities to prosecute and jail all connected with the poor project execution and commissioning of the state multibillion naira Benin City Central Hospital.
The state party chairman, Dan Orbih made the call in Benin while expressing the party’s views as it concerns the state project.
He said for the state governor to have come out to say that the project was fraudulent, it must have gotten enough evidence to that effect and must put all machinery in place to deal with those connected to it.
“The present intervention of the state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki who is the godson of the past governor, Comr Adams Aliuyu Oshiomhole may be political, he should not use it to settle their current political disagreements within the APC. But we commend him for the courage.
“Before the government will come out with a statement that the central hospital today is a fraud, they must have seen even more documents than the ones that are available to the public.
“They have come to a conclusion that that project is a scam. What is expected of the government, is to immediately put in place actions that will bring all those connected to the fraud to book.
“They should be charged to court and let it do justice to the case. It has been established by the government that the contract was overinflated, and the contract as awarded was fully paid for.
“we are in a government that claimed to be fighting corruption. EFCC should not look elsewhere, let them come here and do their job”, Orbih”
The state PDP chairman noted that when the party raised concern about the shoddy job done at the central hospital some years ago, they were not taken seriously and not until Gov Obaseki has decided to open the can of worm in the hospital. The 200-bed accident and emergency ward are poorly equipped and non-functional, it is the most expensive hospital ward in the world.
No single patient has been treated or admitted since the commissioning of the blood pressure test and diagnostic services in the glorified edifice.
We are happy that after several past denials and defence by Godwin Obaseki’s government, they have now come out to admit that the project is a fraud.
“By 2016, the government had wasted over N10,267,413,000.00 and every year, the Obaseki Government have been allocating and spending millions of Naira to “complete” the already commissioned project.”
