Edo PDP condemns Okpebholo over reckless ₦2.5bn approval

Edo PDP condemns Okpebholo for approving ₦2.5bn for UBTH, urging funds be redirected to neglected Edo-owned hospitals

Edo PDP condemns Okpebholo for approving ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, calling the move reckless and politically motivated.

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The party’s reaction followed Governor Monday Okpebholo’s announcement on Tuesday after hosting Idia Ize-Iyamu, the new Chief Medical Director of UBTH, who requested assistance for a world-class paediatric centre.

In a strongly worded statement, PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, said the governor’s decision was a “reckless misadventure” that neglected Edo-owned hospitals already in dire condition.

According to the opposition, facilities like Stella Obasanjo Hospital, Edo Specialist Hospital, and the General Hospital in Abudu remain underfunded and poorly maintained, yet billions are being given to a federal institution.

The party accused Okpebholo of eye-service politics ahead of the 2027 elections while ordinary Edo people suffer collapsing healthcare services.

Resident doctors in state employment, who recently suspended a strike, also described the allocation as a misplaced priority.

“Edo people did not elect a philanthropist for federal hospitals. They elected a leader to fix state-owned facilities and expand healthcare access,” PDP said.

The statement further insisted that the ₦2.5 billion should be redirected to Edo hospitals that directly serve citizens, warning that the people “will not forget this reckless waste.”

Government officials declined immediate comments but promised a response on Thursday.

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Edo citizens, PDP argued, deserve working hospitals and not political monuments.

Quadri Olaitan