Kehinde Fajobi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has criticised Governor Monday Okpebholo and his Health Commissioner, Dr Cyril Adam Oshiomhole, over allegations that the immediate past governor, Godwin Obaseki, delivered substandard work on the Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin.
The 270-bed facility, rebuilt and expanded by Obaseki’s administration, was inaugurated on November 6, 2024, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
However, after inspecting the hospital, the new administration alleged that the project was incomplete, citing structural defects and a lack of equipment.
During his visit on Tuesday, Okpebholo described the hospital’s inauguration as a sham.
“After inspecting the facilities, it is clear that nothing was done here by the Obaseki-led administration as they just painted the building and fixed air conditioners to deceive the people,” he said.
“This is unacceptable. It is unfair. It is cheating on Edo people.”
Dr Oshiomhole echoed similar concerns, stating that the contractor had much to explain.
“This building was inaugurated by the last administration politically, but coming here, it is like an abandoned building on the other side.
“A lot of explanations need to be made at this point,” he said.
In response, the PDP defended Obaseki, accusing the new administration of lacking moral grounds to criticise the hospital’s standards.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, called the allegations ironic and laughable, referencing a hospital project overseen by Dr Oshiomhole’s father, former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, where structural defects caused a fatal collapse.
“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,” Nehikhare said.
“This was made possible by the huge investment made by the immediate-past government of Godwin Obaseki in upgrading and equipping the hospital to world-class standards.”
He described the criticism as “childish” and “politically motivated.”
“Had they been discerning, they would have known that a hospital of such significance is a credit to the state and its government, rather than desperately seeking to diminish this for petty political reasons,” he added.
Crusoe Osagie, Obaseki’s media adviser, also dismissed the allegations, accusing the Okpebholo administration of using lies and propaganda to tarnish the former governor’s reputation.
“No amount of lies, blackmail, and propaganda by Governor Okpebholo and his media hirelings could blemish the former governor’s legacies,” Osagie said in a statement.
“If anything, Godwin Obaseki has firmly etched his name in gold in Edo State’s history through the big, bold, transformative, and impactful projects that dot the state.”
Osagie urged the current administration to focus on governance instead of “divisive tactics.”
“We urge the clueless government of Monday Okpebholo to refrain from their resort to lies and propaganda and instead focus on delivering developmental projects for the benefit of the state and its people,” he added.