Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde on Monday described the commissioning of the Abiola Ajimobi Maternal and Paedetric Centre at the Olodo axis of Ibadan by his predecessor as merely “ceremonial”.
Makinde decried the movement of the facilities originally purchased for the Maternal and Paediatric Centre Jericho to the Olodo Centre just for ceremonial purposes.
The situation, he said, had left the Jericho Centre, which was at 80 percent completion at the time empty, amounting to a waste of resources.
The Governor spoke after an on- the- spot assessment inspection of the Jericho facility.
He assured his administration will fix and complete the project by end of the year.
According to Makinde, the decision by the Ajimobi -led government to move the multi-million facilities meant for the Jericho Centre away left the health centre almost dilapidated and failing to offer the needed value to people of the state.
When completed, the new facility, he said will host the staff of Jericho Specialist hospital, adding that the relocation of staff of Jericho Specialist hospital to a new centre was informed by inadequate space at their current site.
He said: “The situation is almost like wasting the resources of the state. We have put in a lot of resources but we have not been able to derive any value for the citizens.
“This place is at 80 percent completion but is already falling apart. It has to be occupied.
“They took all the equipment from here to do ceremonial commissioning at Olodo.
“I believe you can fool some people all of the time but it is difficult to fool all of the people all of the time. It was the same story at Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA).
“This facility will be finished up and we take the movement of the people from Jericho specialist hospital here as an emergency. Our target is to accomplish that on or before the end of this year.”
Makinde earlier visited the proposed headquarters of the Oyo State Road Transport Management Agency (OYRTMA), assuring of his commitment to fix the place for conducive and secure operations.
“The location, when fixed, will enhance operations of various governmental agencies dealing with road and transport management in the state.
“We have to really make this place conducive so that you can do your work diligently.
“We will meet with police to make sure the place is secure and be diligent in dealing with truck drivers. We want them to buy into our vision of a cleaner and safer road,” Makinde stated during the visit.
But the media aide to former Governor Ajimobi, Mr Bolaji Tunji, said: “The Ajimobi administration had the most robust health programme for the State.
“It is a known fact that with as low as N1, 000, you can enjoy health facilities in the state.
“It is on the basis of the need to make health services available to the people the health insurance scheme was launched.
“Our health plan was so robust that other states sent representatives to understudy this.
“In any case, the Ajimobi administration has laid a great foundation that we expect the Seyi Makinde administration to build upon.
“It gladdens the heart that the Governor acknowledged the fact that the project was 80 percent completed.
“No one administration can complete all projects, governance is a continuum. We expect Gov Makinde to complete what we could not complete as the Ajimobi administration completed projects it met on ground on assumption of office.
“It is rather unfortunate that the Governor said the equipment from Jericho was taken to Olodo.
“One then wonders where His Excellency got this information. Probably hearsay again, which has been the hallmark of the administration since it assumed office.
“In any case Olodo is part of Oyo state. Is the governor saying the people there are less citizens of Oyo state and are undeserving of good health care and facilities?”
