The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has strongly condemned Governor Monday Okpebholo and his Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Adam Oshiomhole, for their recent criticisms of the newly inaugurated Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City.
The hospital, named after former First Lady Stella Obasanjo, was inaugurated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on November 6, 2024, at the close of Godwin Obaseki’s administration.
The hospital, which underwent a major rebuild and expansion during Obaseki’s tenure, boasts a 270-bed capacity and is situated on Country Home Road, Off Sapele Road in Benin City.
However, shortly after assuming office, Dr. Oshiomhole conducted an inspection of the facility and claimed to have uncovered several construction errors.
Governor Okpebholo echoed these concerns during a visit to the hospital on Tuesday, November 26, describing the inauguration by the former administration as a “sham.”
He claimed that construction work at the facility was still ongoing and that essential equipment had yet to be procured. Okpebholo promised to address the supposed structural defects and vowed to work with contractors to complete the project.
He further criticised the previous administration, stating, “After inspecting the facilities, it is clear that nothing was done here by the Obaseki-led administration.
They just painted the building and fixed air conditioners to deceive the people into thinking the building was completed. This is unacceptable. It is unfair. It is cheating on Edo people.”
Oshiomhole also expressed dissatisfaction with the project, calling it politically motivated, and stated that the contractor needed to provide explanations regarding the supposed deficiencies.
In response to these accusations, the Edo State chapter of the PDP came to the defence of the former governor.
In a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP Caretaker Committee, Chris Nehikhare, the party accused Okpebholo and Oshiomhole of lacking the moral authority to comment on the state of healthcare facilities in the state, given the controversial history of hospital constructions under previous administrations.
Nehikhare specifically pointed out the irony in Oshiomhole’s criticism, considering that his father, former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, oversaw the flawed construction of a specialist hospital in the state, where a section collapsed due to structural defects, resulting in the deaths of two people.
“It is laughable and ironic that Cyril Oshiomhole, whose father’s administration oversaw the flawed construction of a hospital that collapsed and caused the death of innocent citizens, would now comment on the standards of any hospital,” Nehikhare said.
The PDP also praised the Stella Obasanjo Hospital as one of the best in the South-South region, noting that it was a significant achievement of Obaseki’s government, which invested heavily in upgrading and equipping the hospital to world-class standards.
“We are appalled by the petty and ignoble behaviour of the Okpebholo-led administration in attempting to diminish the undeniable impact of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital on the state’s healthcare system,” the statement added.
“The hospital is widely recognised by all who have visited or used it as one of the finest in the region, and this achievement was made possible by the investment of the immediate past government.”
Crusoe Osagie, the media adviser to former Governor Obaseki, also weighed in on the controversy, accusing the Okpebholo administration of engaging in “lies, blackmail, and propaganda” to tarnish the former governor’s legacy.
Osagie stated, “No amount of lies, blackmail, and propaganda can blemish the legacies of Governor Godwin Obaseki. His transformative projects have placed Edo State on the path of growth and prosperity, and these achievements cannot be erased by the current administration’s divisive tactics.”
He urged the Okpebholo administration to focus on governance and delivering on its promises, rather than attempt to discredit the progress made by the previous government.
