Ogun communities beg Abiodun to renovate collapsed health centre

Residents of Bode-Olude, Fadage, Arakanga and Mawuko communities in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State have cried out to the state government to urgently rehabilitate their only health facility and save it from total collapse.

It was gathered that the health facility was built by Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as her constituency project in 2007 when she was a Senator.

But when our correspondent visited the communities on Monday, the health facility has been deserted by the medical workers after it collapsed.

The facility was said to have served six Community Development Committees which have over 100 communities each.

The Chairman of Federal-Opeji CDC, one of the affected communities, Dapo Wahab, said the facility before it collapsed, had served five others which were; Bode-Olude Area CDC, Fadage Area CDC, Ilupeju-Bode-Olude Area CDC, Mawuko Area CDC and part of Arakanga Area CDC.

Wahab lamented that the affected communities enjoyed healthcare delivery between 2016 and 2019 when the building collapsed.

He said the medical workers had to leave the structure to save their lives when it started collapsing due to the alleged poor material used.

He added that presently, he has donated a two-bedroom flat which is being used as a clinic, pending the time the health facility would be rebuilt.

He said “This hospital was named Bode-Olude health centre. It was built purposely for the benefit of the community people. In the area, we have more than 100 communities that are benefitting from this facility.

“Aside from Ifedara-Opeji Area Community Development Committee that hosts this health facility. We have others such as Bode-Olude, Ilupeju-Bode-Olude Area CDC, Fadage Area CDC, Mawuko Area CDC, and part of Arakanga Area CDC.

“Let me tell you honestly, one area CDC has more than 40 CDAs and if we multiply 40 by six CDC we have more than 5,000 community members benefiting from this health facility.

“It was sponsored by Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and Hon. Kayode Amusan. We renovated part of it with the N1 million the communities contributed.

“We sought the help of the governments both local and state. During the time of former governor Gbenga Daniel, we sought his help, nothing was done, also during the time of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, we tried our best, all to no avail. The first time Governor Dapo Abiodun, nothing was done. We engaged all the stakeholders, all to no avail.

“This is a difficult situation for us. We are living in agony, people are not happy, and we have a lot of pregnant women in these communities. This is what they depend on. It is very difficult for them to move from here to the General Hospital in Oke-Ijeun or FMC in Idi-Aba.

“All the medical staff posted here left this place because they don’t want to risk their lives because of the devastating situation.

“There was a time they were taking delivery in the rain because there was no roof in the hospital.

“The present Chairman Folashade Adeyemo came to the place and could not enter the place because of the devastating situation.”

When contacted, the Odeda local government chairperson, Folashade Adeyemo confirmed the situation.

She wrote, “I have sent the details to the governor’s office and ministry of health, needful would be done, thanks.”

The Special Adviser to the governor on Health, Dr.Tomi Coker had yet to respond to the message sent to her.