By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Ever since the commissioning of the 80-bed Primary Health Care Centre in Emmanuel Street, Ojota, a wave of discontent has swept through the community, as residents express their frustration over the facility’s lack of essential medical equipment.
The project, spearheaded by Former Lawmaker Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye and commissioned shortly after the 2023 general elections by the Governor of Lagos State, represented by Honourable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has left the residents questioning the absence of the much-needed medical equipment in the commissioned health center.
Despite its commissioning, the unfenced and ungated health center situated within the Emmanuel High School complex has become a focal point for community dissatisfaction. Residents are urging the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to intervene, directing the contractor to supply the necessary equipment, as seen in other Primary Health Care Centers constructed across the state.
@Sajim, a concerned Nigerian on Twitter, emphasized the imperative for a robust Tracking/Monitoring System for awarded contracts. He stressed the need for transparency, suggesting a system that updates progress and completion statuses, with information accessible to the public or a government supervisory body. Sajim highlighted elements such as contractors’ names, expected completion dates, supervising MDAs, and pictorial evidence of job progress or completion.
“We can’t continue with the status quo. At a time of austerity where every penny counts, we can’t allow people to use taxpayers’ money for personal gains,” he insisted.
Sajim directed his plea to Hadiza Bala-Usman, former Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority and Special Adviser on Policy Coordination to the President. He implored her to consider initiating a proposal to monitor all awarded contracts, emphasizing that such efforts would enhance transparency, accountability, and weed out questionable contractors exploiting loopholes in the procurement processes.
Efforts are underway to contact the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on SDG to obtain information about the contractor, scope of work, and the current status and whereabouts of the hospital equipment intended for the Ojota Health Center.