The Edo State Government and the All Progressives Congress are currently at loggerhead over an alleged plan to demolish the Central Hospital on Sapele Road in Benin.
The APC’s Assistant State Publicity Secretary, Victor Osehobo, in a statement on Tuesday titled ‘Demolition of Central Hospital for whatever reason is unacceptable,’ the opposition party accused the Governor Godwin Obaseki of planning to convert the facility to a motor park.
The statement read in part, “The attention of the All Progressives Congress in Edo state has been drawn to the planned demolition on November 1, 2021, of the Central Hospital, Benin City by the Peoples Democratic Party government led by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“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 evil plot under wraps, the disgusting plan is already in the court of public opinion.
“The APC sees no wisdom in this 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 the state it has mismanaged its resources, is not only weird and evil but also unacceptable.
The state government however said it was relocating, and not demolishing the hospital.
The State Commissioner for Communications and Orientation, Andrew Emwanta, in a statement said the hospital was being relocated to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, contrary to the malicious statement by the APC.
He said, “The attention of the Edo State Government has been drawn to a malicious and false statement by the 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. The Central Hospital has been in existence for over 100 years and most of the facilities are now very old and do not support modern-day medical service delivery.”
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