BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU
A human rights group called “Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN) has faulted the handover of the Enugu Diagnostic Centre to Federal, alleging it was ploy to divert state funds.
To this end, the human rights group has said it would further take steps to ensure that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), investigates why the Center was not equipped after the enormous resources committed on the project by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi”s predecessor.
The President of the (CRRAN) Olu Omotayo in a statement made available to Daily News Nigeria in Enugu on Wednesday, stated, “It is highly disappointing that the outgoing administration in Enugu state in order not to be accountable to the citizens of the state and cover its’ track handed over the complex housing the Enugu Diagnostics Center to Federal Government Agency, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, yesterday the 2nd day of May 2023”.
Omotayo said, “the center which was conceived by the Sullivan Chime Administration, if equipped would have been solving various health needs of the citizens of Enugu State in particular and Southeast Nigeria as a whole.
According to the human rights activist, “A major disadvantage of the handing over of the state resources to the Federal government is that a state project commenced and entire project funded by the Sullivan administration to cater for health needs of people of Southeast and provide jobs to competent health workers and professionals who are indigenes of the state has been thrown away by this administration.
Parts of the statement further reads:
“It is on record that it was through court action against the regime of former Governor Sullivan Chime, in the Suit: Civil Liberties Organisation V. Commissioner for Health Enugu State, Suit No. FHC//EN/M/263/2011, where the first decision on Freedom of Information Act (FOI), in Southeast Nigeria, was delivered in 2013, that forced the government of Sullivan Chime, to complete the construction of the Diagnostics Center, which it had earlier abandoned at the foundation level.
“Armed with the information that the predecessor (Former Governor Sullivan Chime) of the present state governor had awarded the contract for the supplying of the equipment for the Diagnostics center and in fact some of the equipment actually arrived the state but kept in an unknown location, the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), filed a suit against the Enugu State Government over its’ refusal to equip the Diagnostics Center, Old Trade Fair Complex, Enugu.
“The suit: Registered Trustees of Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network((CRRAN) V. Enugu State Government, Suit No: FHC/EN/ CS/47/2020, was filed at the Federal High Court Enugu.
“The Organisation in the facts in support of the suit stated that the Contract for purchase of medical equipment for the commencement of operations of Diagnostics Center, Old Trade Fair Complex, Enugu has been awarded and public funds made available for that purpose but the funds diverted for personal use hence the reason for non completion and the subsequent abandon of the project till date.
Reacting in Punch Newspapers Report of 24 February 2020, titled: “10 years after commencement, multi million naira Enugu Diagnostic Centre fails to take off” the Commissioner for Information Mr.Chidi Aroh, stated thus: “the state-of-the art dialysis machines, MIR machine and other laboratory equipment for a standard diagnostic centre were all available.
“But we have to put the furniture there and bring in beds, chairs and telephones, among others.” He said the state government had made provision for the completion of the project in its 2020 budget”
“So where are the state-of-the art dialysis machines, MIR machine and other laboratory equipments?
“It should be noted that the State government later hide under guise that it was using the center as an isolation center at the outbreak of Covid 19, pandemic and that after the pandemic the center will be equipped to take care of medical needs of the people of Southeast Nigeria.
:The pandemic is no more; and surprisingly the state government handed over the center to Federal Government Agency, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, yesterday.
“We submit that the hallmark of democracy is that government must be accountable to the citizens and also know that it is its ‘duty to provide necessary medical facilities needed for the wellbeing of the citizenry.
“It is important to note that the major reason for the success of the opposition tsunami that swept away political office holders in southeast its’ the belief of people in government that they are not accountable to the people.
“We shall take further steps to ensure that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), investigates why the Center was not equipped after the enormous resources made available for such by the Sullivan Chime Administration.
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