The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti State Chapter, has blasted the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over a statement credited to the party that the State Governor should “build more hospitals, not cemetery”.

Ekiti APC while reacting in a statement signed by its Caretaker committee publicity Secretary, Hon Ade Ajayi on Wednesday said the PDP chieftains in the state should be ashamed to come up with such statement considering the decrepit state in which the then PDP government left hospitals in the state, adding that when the APC government came into office in October 2018, the flagship Teaching Hospital in the state was an eyesore and hospitals in very bad state.

APC boasted that the Fayemi-led government has always been keen to encourage private investors in all sectors of the state economy and social development sectors.

APC noted that the state has attracted such private sector investors like Promasidor Ltd, Dangote Farms, SWAgCo, JMK Farms, Ellah Farms, NNPC Ventures, Irinajo Tours and many others with independently verifiable private sector investments worth over $100 million in the state under the Fayemi-led government.

APC while mocking PDP said that the brand new Accident and Emergency Ward built before APC left in 2014 had become a shadow of itself and that the facility could not meet basic accreditation of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

The party also boasted that today, the Teaching hospital has witnessed a major facelift with newly asphalted roads and repainted buildings, brand new buildings for the Dental and Ophthalmology Departments, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, a brand new testing centre with a permanent testing centre, a 20 bed intensive care unit and new diagnostic laboratories are currently in the works.

The statement reads partly: “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti State Chapter has been drawn to the scurrilous diatribe from the troubled opposition People Democratic Party (PDP), in the state urging the Ekiti State Governor to ‘build more hospitals, not cemetery’.

“While it is tempting to ignore the deliberate mischief of the PDP, which is clearly the intent of the misinformation, it is important to respond for the sake of unsuspecting members of the public who may be taken in by the blatant falsehood.

“In the first place, Ekiti State Government has not constructed any cemetery anywhere in the state since inception of this administration. The government is however always keen to encourage private investors in all sectors of the state economy and social development sectors.

“It is noteworthy that the State has attracted such private sector investors like Promasidor Ltd, Dangote Farms, SWAgCo, JMK Farms, Ellah Farms, NNPC Ventures, Irinajo Tours and many others with independently verifiable private sector investments worth over $100 million in the state. It is equally remarkable, even if the PDP does not think so, that the State attracted its first private sector investment in funeral vaults and cemeteries when Citygate Parks and Gardens laid the foundation of their 260,000 capacity cemetery in the state. This is at no cost to the State and a positive contribution to the hygiene and health security of Ekiti people. If the PDP leadership in the state is ignorant of the provenance of the proposed cemetery, it should simply ask questions as citizens and the information would be provided at no cost, instead of exhibiting inexcusable ignorance.

“Regarding hospitals and health services, PDP chieftains should be ashamed to bring this up in Ekiti State considering the decrepit state in which their last government left our hospitals. When the APC government came into office in October 2018, the flagship Teaching Hospital in the state was an eyesore. The roof of the maternity ward had caved in and rains had damaged everywhere. The brand new Accident and Emergency Ward built before we left in 2014 had become a shadow of itself. The facility could not meet basic accreditation of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. Today, not only had the Teaching hospital witnessed a major facelift with newly asphalted roads and repainted buildings, but brand new buildings for the Dental and Ophthalmology Departments, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, a brand new testing centre with a permanent testing centre, a 20 bed intensive care unit and new diagnostic laboratories are currently in the works.

“The same is being replicated in the secondary and primary health centres across the state. All our State Specialist and General Hospitals and at least 100 Primary Health Centres have undergone or currently undergoing renovations and reconstruction across the state. Not to mention equipment worth over N1.5 billion slated for distribution into the various health facilities in the state.

The party also pointed at recruitment of health workers and introduction of state health insurance scheme which it said was abandoned by PDP.

APC, while assuring of more dividends in the health and economy sector, urged PDP to refrain from crass sensationalism and mischief in a bid to score cheap political points if it cannot encourage the Fayemi-led government.

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