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Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde and the immediate past Governor of the state, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi have engaged in a war of words over Makinde’s allegation that the Ajimobi administration moved equipment from Jericho Specialist Hospital to another centre in Olodo to stage a commissioning exercise, leaving the Jericho facility empty.
Makinde had told newsmen on Monday after the inspection tour of some government installations that the previous administration in the state attempted to fool the people of the state with bogus contracts and projects to the detriment of the people.
He noted that the previous administration put in lots of resources in projects and ended up abandoning the same even after some bogus commissioning exercise.
He decried the situation of the Jericho Specialist Hospital, which he said would be immediately moved to the new complex as a matter of emergency.
Governor Makinde said:”You have all seen the situation out there; it is almost like wasting the resources of the state.
“The State has put in a lot of resources but have not been able to get any value for the citizens. For me, the facility at the Jericho Hospital’s new site is at 80 per cent completion but it is already falling apart. So, it has to be occupied.
“They took all the equipment from there to do a ceremonial commissioning at Olodo. I believe you can fool some people some of the time but it is difficult to fool all of the people all the time. So, we will go back and relocate the Jericho Specialist Hospital and that would be taken as an emergency because it has to happen between now and the end of the year.
“This facility, for instance, is going to be finished up and, by then, we will take the movement of the people from Jericho Specialist to this place as an emergency. Our target is to complete the project before the end of this year.”
Reacting to the Makinde’s allegation, Ajimobi through his spokesman, Mr. Bolaji Tunji said his administration had the most robust health programme for the state.
He said:”It is a known fact that with as low as N1000 you can enjoy health facilities in the state. It is on the basis of the need to make health services available to the people l, 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 Governor 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 hear say 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?.”