Photo of the an abandoned general hospital project in Odot 1, Nsit Atai LGA, Akwa Ibom state, initiated in 1992.
By Abasifreke Effiong
A non- governmental organisation, Public and Private Development Centre, PPDC, has urged the Akwa Ibom state government to complete the 29 years old general hospital project in Odot 1, Nsit Atai local government area.
The hospital project in Odot 1, was awarded for construction in 1992, by the first civilian Governor of the State, late Obong Akpan Isemin, under the former Ekpe Atai local government area.
As Governor, the late Obong Akpan Isemin, approved the construction of four general hospitals before his tenure was cut short by the military in 1993.
Despite not having a functional healthcare facility in the local government area, successive administrations after the late Governor Isemin’s have failed to complete the project, 29 years after it was initiated.
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Community-based monitor for PPDC in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Kufre Etuk, observed cassava is cultivated at the site of the project.
Three of the general hospitals sited in Amammong, Okobo; Mbioto ll, Etinan; and Ibiaku Ntok Okpo, Ikono, awarded by the Isemin administration were completed and put to use.
Sideview of the abandoned general hospital project in Nsit Atai LGA, Akwa Ibom State, tracked by PPDC.
The CEO of Jackson Devos Limited, the company that was awarded contract for the construction of the hospital in Odot 1, Chief Sunny Jackson, said 80 per cent of the project was done before the host community stalled the project.
“The project was one of the very interesting projects of the Obong Akpan Isemin administration. The intention of the governor was for the people of that area to have access to health services at that level without having to come to the center, Uyo.”
“Similar project was done in three other places but that of Ekpe Atai was stalled. Right from when we started that project it was one problem or the other but we wriggled ourselves out of it. There was the issue of compensation, mind you, it is the government that handles compensation.”
“We had completed 80 per cent of the job when indigenes of the community put an injunction and stalled the project. We had roofed the building, tarazolled the floor. It was not long after that project was stalled that the civilian administration was overthrown by the military.”
“We didn’t abandon the project after Akpan Isemin was ousted, we talked with Governor Bako to see the need to continue with the project. We also talked with Adeusi, that one didn’t even want to listen. Successive administrations during the military refused to continue with the project, each of them were only interested in starting their own project.”
Chief Sunny Jackson, CEO of Jackson Devos Limited.
Chief Jackson added that he was still providing security with his personal funds to protect the project under three military administrations before he finally moved out of site.
Though the contractor said he had roofed the building before the job was stalled, photos taken by PPDC’s community monitor show that there is currently no roof on the building.
The project lead of PPDC, Mr. Kachi Chuwku, met with Odot 1 community on July 6, to find out why the project was abandoned.
The NGO later brought the community, stakeholders in the State Ministries of Health, and Economic Planning, the Bureau of Public Procurement and the media together to explore areas of collaboration towards the completion of the project.
At the stakeholders meeting in Uyo, Mr. Chuwku, stressed the need for the state government to complete the hospital project and noted the dilapidation of the Primary Health Center, PHC in Odot.
“When we went to Odot for our community engagement, we stopped over at the PHC at Nsit Atai local government headquarters, and we saw that the centre is in a bad shape. The center is under threat of gully erosion. There is no maternity ward and the surrounding of the health center is nothing to write home about.
“This is the more reason all stakeholders should work with the state government towards completing the abandoned general hospital”, Chuwku said.
PPDC appealed to the state government to intervene at the primary health center, Odot.
Inside the Primary Health Center, Odot 3, Nsit Atai LGA, Akwa Ibom State.
An elder from Nsit Atai, Obong Inyang Ekpe, noted that Odot 1 community has written many memos to the Ministry of Health, the House of Assembly and political office holders from the local stressing the need for government to revisit and complete the hospital project.
“From 1993, we have written series of letters to call government attention to the hospital project. None of the letters we wrote to the executive arm ever got attention. Last year, we wrote to the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Health appealing to them to look for a way to cause the inclusion of the project in the budget, we were told that something would be done during the mark up session.”
“As a people, we feel really ashamed that it is an NGO that is not based in our State that is showing this magnitude of concern for that hospital project. However, I am grateful that PPDC has been able to bring these number of stakeholders from the state to see how we can synergise and get this project completed.”
Obong Inyang Ekpe, a former member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, said the hospital project was stalled because due process was not followed.
Obong Inyang Ekpe, former lawmaker from Nsit Atai speaking at PPDC’s engagement with stakeholders on the abandoned general hospital project in Nsit Atai LGA.
“The rule of engagement was not followed by the government, so an indigene of the community, ill-advised, went to court and obtained an injunction and stopped the project. When this action was reported to us, we immediately approached our son who got the injunction which stalled the project, we worked with him and got the injunction off within three months.
“Unfortunately, after that we were unable to get the contractor to continue the job. We have done our best to get the project back on course since then, but to no avail”.
The former lawmaker said access to basic healthcare in Nsit Atai local government was a huge challenge because the primary health center in Odot is dilapidated.
“The local government council has been very insensitive to the plight of the Primary Health Center in Odot, even when they know we don’t have any other health facility other than the PHC. We are ashamed that an NGO has had to come in and see our health center in that state”, the former lawmaker said.
Also, Obong Edem Bassey Okon, an elder from Odot 1, said apart from negligence by the local government council, the PHC in Odot has been threatened by gully erosion making access to the center difficult.
He said the PHC constructed in the 1970s has not received any serious intervention.
Community representatives from Odot 1, Nsit Atai at PPDC’s community engagement.
The Director of Health Services in Nsit Atai, Mrs. Mfon Nkanang, regretted that the local council has not been able to respond to the basic needs of the PHC.
She said patronage of the PHC was low because of environmental safety concerns and lack of basic amenities including water and electricity at the center.
The Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Martins Akpan, the state government is working on a sustainable development plan for PHCs in the State.
“There is serious decay at the primary healthcare centers in the state, we are aware of it. The decay is a product of neglect over the years and lack of predictable funding. I know what is happening but obviously there is hope.
“We are working on the migration of health centers from local government service commission to the primary healthcare development agency. We have started a baseline study, soon we will commence training of staff of PHCs across the state. Once, we take over, there will be overall improvements.”
Meanwhile, the representatives from the Ministry of Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport, said the community hosting the abandoned general hospital can make presentation for the inclusion of the project in the 2022 budget under the ‘people’s budget.’
The stakeholders’ engagement on the Nsit Atai general hospital project was attended by the Director, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission, ICPC, in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Shola Shodipo.
