Africa-Press – Nigeria. The abandoned 200-bed Infectious Diseases Centre initiated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc (SPDC) in Imo State now looks unkempt and abandoned with grasses growing all over the place.
Apart from the weed, many staffers of the Imo State Teaching Hospital, IMSUTH, Orlu are also afraid of passing through the area because of the fear that it could be a hiding place for reptiles.
Several indigenes of Amanato community in Orlu council area who pleaded anonymity in a chat with DAILY POST, on Wednesday berated the NNPC, Seplat and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Timipre Sylva, for deceiving Imolites with a promise to deliver and fully equip the medical facilities within eighteen months.
Mr. Chijioke Ibe told DAILY POST correspondent during his visit to Imo State Teaching Hospital , IMSUTH in Orlu that it’s disheartening that the site of the abandoned project remained at a foundation stage after the companies and Silva assured Imo people that the hospital facility would be fully equipped with medical facilities for sustainable services at the initial cost of about $1.2 million.
He said despite the noise they made about it while performing the ground breaking ceremony, no structure has been put in place.
Continuing, he said, “our leaders should know that when they make promises to the people ,they must back it up with action.The project kick-started 15 months ago and it’s still the way it was after the much celebrated grand breaking event. It’s a shame and failure on their part.
“Imolites and the people of Southeast deserve more than what we are getting.What does it take to fulfil their promise to the people?”
Recall that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Timipre Sylva, and representatives of NNPC and Seplat Plc were all in the state sometimes around June 20th , 2020 to perform the ground breaking ceremony for a permanent construction of 200-bed Emergency and Infectious Disease Hospital for Eastern Region in Imo State.
Sylvia, while addressing the mammoth crowd who graced the occasion said that the project is one of the three categories of the NNPC and SPDC intervention initiatives aimed at assisting states in the six geo-political zones to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
Chairman of SPDC, Dr. Ambrose Orjiako, during the event assured that the hospital would be completed in eighteen months, adding that the project is an outcome of NNPC collaboration with SEPLAT to support Imo State towards the strengthening of the state’s efforts in its fight against the management of the current pandemic and to be a centre for the treatment of all forms of infectious diseases.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari, who expressed optimism that the project would be completed in due time was also on ground.
