APC, Edo Govt War Over Alleged Plan To Convert 100-Year-Old Benin Central Hospital To Motor Park

The All Progressives Congress, APC in Edo State and the Edo State Government were on Tuesday in a shouting war over alleged plans by the state government to convert the more than 100 year old Central Hospital in Benin into a motor park.

The APC accused the Godwin Obaseki government of being insensitive in ignoring the well-being of the people in seeking to convert the hospital into a convenience for the markets.

The state government was quick to rebuff the APC describing

“The plot is to convert this over 100-year old legacy asset of all Edo people into a motor park. Whereas the government thinks it has this plot under wraps, it is already in the court of public opinion,” the APC said in a statement issued by Victor Osehobo, the Assistant State Publicity Secretary of the party and made available to GreenWhiteGreen GWG

“The APC sees no wisdom in this clandestine move and is therefore urging the government to immediately put a stop to it. The reason advanced by the government for the proposed demolition of the hospital, which is to make way for an ultra-modern Motor Park to decongest the City centre and ultimately generate additional revenue for a State, it has mismanaged its resources, is 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.”

“From obvious indications, the Governor has developed an appetite fed by an inordinate urge to either sell off or mortgage 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. 

“Against the backdrop of these concerns and observations, the APC 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.

Rebuffing the claims of the APC on the alleged plan to demolish the Benin Central Hospital and convert it to a motor park, the State Commissioner for Communications and Orientation, Hon. Andrew Adaze Emwanta JP, said the hospital was being relocated to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, contrary to the false and malicious statement by the Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) purporting the demolition of the hospital.

According to him, “The attention of the Edo State Government has been drawn to a malicious and false statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, alleging that the government plans to demolish the Central Hospital in Benin City.

“The government is not demolishing, but relocating the hospital. Besides, we have the ultra-modern Edo Specialist Hospital within the same premises. The Central Hospital has been in existence for over 100 years and most of the facilities there are now very old and do not support modern-day healthcare service delivery.

 “The hospital is now being relocated to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital which is being expanded and improved to deliver quality health services to Edo people, while the old Central Hospital will be transformed.”

Emwanta further noted: “Edo people, on September 19, 2020 gave Governor Godwin Obaseki a mandate under the Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) Manifesto to develop Edo State. The ongoing infrastructural development and institutional reforms are the second and third thematic pillars, respectively, of the MEGA Manifesto of the present administration. So, there is no retreat or surrender on the developmental mandate freely given by Edo people to our beloved Governor.

“The general public is hereby urged to disregard the propaganda by the opposition in the state that is rudderless and aimed at creating an issue, where none exists.”

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