Dawodu, Ariyoh clash over Health Centre
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By Abolaji Adebayo
No one knows who will be the first to blink between member, House of Representatives representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II, Dr. Bashiru Dawodu and the chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Hon. Bolaji Muse-Ariyoh in their rift over the construction of a new primary healthcare centre by the National Primary Health Care Agency.
On Tuesday November 17, this year, the chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Hon. Bolaji Muse-Ariyoh, was at Ogundele Primary School, the site of the project to lay the foundation in a ceremony well-attended by functionaries of the local government.
Speaking at the event, Ariyoh said he facilitated the project through the Lagos State government.
He also claimed that it is an ultra-modern general hospital and doctor’s quarter to be the first general hospital the local government would have.
Ariyoh said the the hospital would be equipped with modern health facilities and Ambulance to convey dead bodies.
His words: “Oshodi deserves to have modern functional health facilities that will be able to cater for the health challenges of the people beyond the primary level we have.
“With the ultra-modern General Hospital, we can be rest assured that quality health services will be at the reach of the people, and both the new hospital and the existing one would be equipped to serve the same purpose for the people.”
Noting that no project could be executed in the community without passing through the local government authority, Ariyoh reportedly hinted at a brewing rivalry when he hinted that he had laid the foundation quickly to prevent certain politicians from hijacking it and claiming the glory.
He alleged that some politicians within the local government area were claiming to be the facilitator of the project in order to undermine his own efforts.
He said: “It wasn’t funny when I was told some politicians are already spreading rumour of being the facilitator of this project and planning to come here for foundation laying ceremony.
“We should work together through provision of basic amenities for the betterment of our people and community without subverting efforts of one another for cheap political gains.”
At the foundation laying with the council chairman was an official from the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Henry Jaiyeoba who witnessed the programme.
Engr. Henry Akintunde, who is managing the project on behalf of Emamed Nig. Ltd., said the project will be completed by January 2021.
He promised that the company will do everything possible to ensure it is completed on schedule, assuring that quality work will be done.
Apart from the health facility, Ariyoh also promised to upgrade the educational infrastructure within the Ewutuntun school complex with an immediate plan to fix a block of classrooms, administrative building, as well as building modern toilets in the school.
Things took a dramatic twist the next day, Wednesday, November 18 when Hon. Dawodu came to the project site with some officials from Federal Ministry of Health and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to flag off the same project.
Speaking at the event, the South West Zonal Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Mrs. Adefunke Adesope expressed her joy at the event and commended Dr. Dawodu for facilitating the PHC project to the locality.
Dawodu, in his address, claimed to be the one who facilitated the project from the federal government.
He said the primary healthcare centre is one of the constituency projects he lobbied for as a medical doctor who values the healthcare of his constituents.
He further explained that the federal government is planning to build healthcare centre in each of the 774 local governments across the country.
While speaking with our correspondent on the project, Dawodu said he was surprised to see the local government chairman claiming the project.
He alleged that the council chairman was trying to corner the project because he was not carried along when he (Dawodu) was processing it.
He noted that similar thing happened between him and the council chairman when he started building a block of classrooms at Temidire Primary School in Shogunle.
The lawmaker noted that the council chairman tried to halt the project, claiming that he (Dawodu) did not take approval from the local government and that the project did not go through the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB).
He said: “He did the same on the blocks of classrooms I facilitated in some primary schools in my constituency just because I didn’t table the projects before him. I don’t need to take up issues with him. I don’t think we need this, we are all working towards the development of the constituency but we should not be undermining others’ efforts just because of our own political gain.
“In the nineth Assembly, which I am a member, I have been able to facilitate 32 classrooms in six primary schools within my constituency in the space of six months in office to make sure that every child gets education just as I facilitated the ongoing PHC facility to ameliorate health challenges in the community.”
According to him, the school projects facilitated include blocks of classrooms at Ago-Owu and Temidire Primary Schools in Shogunle, Ewututun, Mafoluku and Larinde Primary Schools.
He stated that all the projects would be completed within the next three weeks.
To clear the air, ECHONEWS contacted the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib for the details on the healthcare facility under construction at Ogundele in Oshodi but the Doctor did not respond.
To get more details from the side of the local government on how the healthcare facility project was processed, our correspondent also contacted the local government chairman who directed our correspondent to his SLG, Hon. Abiola Taoheed Oladipupo, for comment.
However, the SLG refused to talk to our correspondent over the project, giving the excuse that he had not been permitted to talk.
ECHONEWS gathered that N100million is budgeted for the health facility project which is expected to be delivered in January next year.
Meanwhile, some concerned stakeholders in the community who spoke to ECHONEWS said there was no need for the unhealthy rivalry between the two leaders since they are both working for the development of the constituency.
According to them, antagonising each other over developmental projects due to differences in their ideology would bing retrogression to the community rather than making it progress.
They appealed to the two to settle their differences and work together for the development of the community especially as they are both in the same party.
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