The All Progressives Congress, APC Edo State, has described as wilful and malicious, the recent demolition of two of Edo state’s legacy assets namely the Edo State Library and the Central Hospital located in the State capital by Governor Godwin Obaseki
Col David Imuse, State chairman of the party who addressed newsmen on Tuesday at the party’s Secretariat in Benin City, the state capital, said these two monuments which are irreplaceable, represent some of the state’s monumental structures reminiscent of her rich heritage.
On the Edo State Library, which Mr Obaseki demolished for the establishment of a departmental store, the APC chairman said, “For a government that claims it has the best educational policy in the world, labelled Edobest (Edoworst), whereas schools have no class teachers in our schools, while children are sentenced to receiving lessons from community funded teaching personnel, one wonders how a department store is more important than a Public Library?”.
Col Imuse also wondered the message Governor Obaseki is sending to Edo children especially those who are students of Imaguero College, located opposite the Edo Library, (which was renovated and rehabilitated by Governor Adams Oshiomhole) who will now be faced with a department store after long years of being accustomed to books in bookshelves in the demolished library.
He argued that before now Mr Obaseki had closed down all the tertiary educational institutions like the Tayo Akpata University, Colleges of Education, Afuze, Abudu, Colleges of Agriculture at Iguoriakhi and Agenebode, which he inherited before destroying the Edo State Library which served many of the students of these institutions in the past.
“The Edo library existed for over half a century and served as an avenue for children of the poor to go and read free textbooks, donated by groups, individuals and international organizations and subsidized by government to pass all manners of public examinations.
“The library was conceived and developed by the late Governor Sam Ogbemudia and located at Eghosa Grammar School premises before Governor Lucky Igbinedion in his wisdom relocated it to Sapele road and built the permanent edifice that Governor Obaseki has now sold for a department store”.
On the demolition of the Central Hospital, which Col Imuse said is ongoing, he added that Governor Obaseki’s government cannot rationalize its replacement with a motor park while claiming to have relocated it to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital premises along Country Home Road, Benin City.
“Central Hospital was so named because of its Central location. Just now, there is no Central Hospital in Benin City. It ceases to exist…demolished by Obaseki. There cannot be a Central Hospital inside Stella Obasanjo Hospital…this new location is an afterthought and apart from not being centrally located, it is now very far, and inaccessible from the majority of residents of the state capital who are forced to bear the additional burden of transportation and inconvenience if they fall sick”.
The APC chairman who said Stella Obasanjo Hospital was built from scratch by a governor like Obaseki as an additional health facility for Edo people while the Central Hospital was not demolished but remained a referral centre for the entire state added that with it’s so-called relocation Governor Obaseki has demonstrated to Edo people that he is heartless.
According to Col Imuse, Governor Obaseki inherited the Central Hospital and renamed the section built by Governor Adams Oshiomhole as the Edo Specialist Hospital and after initially threatening to probe the construction of the facility, he gave it out to his cronies who are not health experts as consultants to manage.
“Today the Health Management Board and the health facility is priced out of the reach of Edo citizens so that Mr Obaseki can say he is generating revenue with a consultation/registration fee at N10,000 in a hospital built with Public funds.
“Mr Obaseki has not been able to build or renovate one Primary Health Centre in the state in five years and has not employed any single Health personnel just as Edo State has no Anesthesists, Radiologists and Physiotherapists in the State health service. He has kept closed all the health related institutions like the Schools of Midwifery, Nursing, Health Technology without cause for five years”.
From the foregoing, Col Imuse said Governor Obaseki has no explanation for the demolition of key Edo state assets, and while disposing of others, except to massage his ego, warning that with his plan to demolish many more legacy assets of Edo people in the months ahead, posterity will convict the governor for his spirit of destruction.
Arguing that all these have been facilities with the absence of a functional Edo State Assembly, to check the excesses of the governor, the APC chairman said the time has come for the President to come to the rescue of Edo people.
Signed
Victor Ofure Osehobo
Assistant State Publicity Secretary
APC, Edo State
18-1-22.