Oshiomhole Superintended Sham Construction Of Edo Specialist Hospital That Collapsed, Killed two – Edo PDP Replies Okpebholo

By Simeon OSAJIE

Edo State’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the state Commissioner today berated the Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, son of erstwhile Edo State Governor, Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, accusing the latter of superintended the sham construction of the Edo Specialist Hospital where a section collapsed, due to structural defects, killing two innocent Edo citizens years ago.

The PDP while reacting to the comment by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo describing the recent commissioning of Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City by former Governor Godwin Obaseki as a scam faulted the governor and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Adams Oshiomhole who took the Governor round the facilities.

The opposition PDP noted that the Commissioner for Health lack the moral grounds to speak on the standards of a hospital, following his criticism of the project alleging some structural defects.

According to Oshiomhole Jnr., “This building was commissioned by the last administration politically, but coming here it is like an abandoned building at the other side.

“I came here with a team of doctors, surgeons and other medical experts so that they will have their input, and there were some structural defects we saw. We alerted the contractor and promised to correct those errors.”

In a press statement, Publicity Secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, Chris Nehikhare, said Okpebholo and his Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole lacks the moral grounds to speak on standards of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital or any other hospital in the state.

Nehikhare said it was ironic and laughable that Cyril Oshiomhole, whose father, Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, as governor of the State superintended the sham construction of the Edo Specialist Hospital where a section collapsed, due to structural defects, killing two innocent Edo citizens would speak on the standards of a hospital.

The PDP therefore chided the Monday Okpebholo-led government for desperately attempting to diminish the undeniable impact of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital on the State’s healthcare system for political reasons, describing the ploy as petty, ignoble and infantile.

According to Nehikhare, “We are appalled and utterly disappointed by the petty, infantile and ignoble behaviour of the Monday Okpebholo-led administration in attempting to diminish the undeniable impact of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital on the State’s healthcare system.

“It is widely acknowledged by anyone who has visited or used the hospital that it ranks as one of the best in the South-South region, if not the entire country and this was made possible by the huge investment made by the immediate past government of His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in upgrading and equipping the hospital to world-class standards.

“We are not surprised by the childish criticism coming from a clueless and incompetent government. Had they been discerning, they would have known that it is to the credit of the state and its government that a hospital of such significance and impact is located in the State and would not have desperately sought to diminish this for petty political reason.”

Going further, Nehikhare added, “It is particularly laughable and ridiculous that Cyril Oshiomhole, the son of the former governor of the state, Adams Aliu Oshiomhole is the one making these unfounded claims, lamenting about a non-existent structural defect, when it was his father, who as governor, superintended the construction of the Edo Specialist Hospital, where a section of the building collapsed due to structural defects, killing at least two innocent Edo citizens.

“For someone with such a history, it is only hypocritical to point fingers at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, disparaging the fully functional and operational facility where no lives have been lost when his father’s greed and selfishness led to the death of innocent people. He therefore lacks any moral standing to do.

“We urge Cyril Oshiomhole and the Okpebholo-led government to bury their heads in shame, while appreciating the impact and transformation that has happened at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital under the sterling leadership of the immediate past governor, His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.”