Located in the South-west state of Ekiti are two health facilities built with millions of naira of public funds but never put to use by residents.
A Nigerian lawmaker inserted the construction of two health centres in the Nigerian budget for communities that did not need them as they already had functional health facilities. The buildings were eventually constructed with public funds but have, for about three years, been taken over by bushes and termites as they lie in waste while the community has moved on.
Located in the South-west state of Ekiti are the two health facilities built with millions of naira of public funds but never put to use by residents. These health facilities are located in Igbara Odo, a community of over 70 thousand people in Ekiti South West Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
In 2017, Segun Adekola, the lawmaker representing Ekiti South West/Ikere/Orun/Ise constituency in the House of Representatives at the time, nominated the construction of two maternity healthcare centres in Igbara Odo. One was to be located along Ikogosi road and the other along Oke-Gbala in the town.
In 2019, Mr Adekola facilitated the completion of the projects under different titles, “Equipping Fencing and Landscaping of Maternity Healthcare Centre at Ikogosi Road in Igbara Odo Ekiti” and “Equipping, Fencing and Landscaping of Maternity Healthcare Centre at Oke-Gbala in Igbara-Odo”.
While the former, which cost N55,777,000, was placed under the supervision of the Nigeria Press Council, the latter, supervised by the National Agency for The Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), had a N60 million budget.
Gold in the bush
When UDEME first visited Igbara Odo in March 2022, residents said there was no government health facility bearing “maternity healthcare centre” in the town.
A commercial motorcyclist, called Tunde by his colleagues, told this reporter there are only three public health facilities in the area. This was also confirmed by Ajakaye Adeola, a nurse working at one of these health facilities named “Model Healthcare Hospital” along Ikogosi Road. She listed the Basic Health Centre located in the heart of Igbara Odo and Comprehensive Health Centre along Ogotun road as the other two.
However, as this reporter was about to leave the town, he met another commercial motorcyclist, Olumide, who mentioned the existence of an abandoned structure along the road that leads to Ikogosi. It was a 20 minutes ride from the town.
Sitting inside the bush was a fenced structure with yellow and green paint. It was difficult to identify the building type behind its locked black gate because of the bushes that were competing with the perimeter fencing. However, the painting was new.
During an attempt to see the inside of the fence, this reporter entered the bush and stepped on a plank. Assisted by Mr Olumide in lifting it up, it turned out to be the signage which carried details of the project but now almost eaten up by termites. Written on it is “EQUIPPING FENCING AND LANDSCAPING OF MATERNITY HEALTHCARE CENTER”.
While checking through the fence, the interlocking stones used to beautify its ground could be seen as weeds forced their way up through it.
Mr Olumide told UDEME about another structure which has been in the bush for a long time. “It is along Igbara-Oke road,” he said. “And the journey would take about 25 minutes from here.”
Beside the tarred road that leads to Igbara-Oke, a blue-roofed building was seen, sitting on a fenced piece of land. Painted yellow, and secured with a black gate, the wall of the building has suffered breakages in the parts most visible. Other parts could not be seen. They were covered by bushes. It has never been used after construction and the bushes have not been cleared in a long while.
Although completed, these over N115 million projects have been locked up since 2019.
Completed but abandoned
On a Saturday, UDEME spoke to Segun Adekola, the lawmaker who facilitated the project, via the telephone. When asked why the projects are not being used, he claimed ignorance, saying the project was completed by his successor.
“In the first instance, I facilitated it. That’s my town. I facilitated it and it was done, completed and every other thing. In the other budget that I facilitated for equipping and fencing, unfortunately, I didn’t come back to handle it myself. Being the facilitator, I am the one that put it in the budget, my predecessor (he meant successor) did not allow me to have access to it.
“For 2019, for equipment and all other things, he took over it and he handled it. In fact, all my 2019 projects, he took over them and handled them,” he said
Mr Adekola did not respond to subsequent calls seeking to ask why he did not consult with residents of the community before inserting a project they do not need in the budget. However, all the residents that this reporter spoke to, including the traditional ruler, said they were not consulted before the insertion or construction of the project.
Mr Adekola’s successor, Yemi Adaramodu, speaking to UDEME, said the projects have been completed and handed over to the local government authorities.
“All the materials were kept in oba’s palace so that they will not be stolen. They are there, including generators and other gadgets,” he said.
When asked the list of the materials that were bought, he replied, “I said you should go to the ‘Kabiyesi’. Ask. Generators are there, beddings are there, other things are there.”
“We don’t need the facilities; we don’t fall sick”
Again, UDEME visited Igbara-Odo town in April. But before going to the king’s
