"Their expectations were not fulfilled three years later as the health facility remained locked upon completion despite its huge financial investment..."
It was a day of merriment for the people of Daddere, a community in Obi Local Government of Nasarawa State when the construction of a modern health care facility commenced in 2020.
However, their expectations were only fulfilled three years later as the health facility remains locked upon completion despite its huge financial investment.
During a visit by the reporter to the project site in April, residents expressed displeasure with the closure.
Peter Abraham, a community resident, said he fears the Primary Health Care Centre (PHC) "might be abandoned and never opened for us".
"The project was completed and commissioned last year but is still locked, if care is not taken, they won't come back to open it for operation, and it may remain like this."
Other residents told UDEME how challenging it is to access primary health care whenever needed.
For instance, in 2021, no fewer than three persons died from a cholera outbreak in Obi and Awe LGAs of the state.
Daddere, a community in Obi LGA where the case was confirmed, has been facing health-related challenges, a resident told UDEME.
The project
In 2020, the senator representing Nasarawa South, Tanko Al-makura, initiated a N40 million project to construct a hospital in Daddere.
The project was under the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (BCDA) supervision.
In 2022, the lawmaker also budgeted another N50 million for the 'finishing and equipping of a newly constructed PHC in Daddere Town, Obi LGA of Nasarawa state'.
Meanwhile, UDEME, a social accountability project of the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), reached out to the office of the Account-General of the Federation to inquire about cash backing for the project.
The Account-General's office confirmed that funds budgeted for Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs) in 2020, 2021 and 2022 had been released to the agencies tasked with implementing the respective projects.
The community has two PHCs, and residents said they would have preferred the government to assist with equipping the existing ones with material and human resources.
Inside Daddere PHC project
When UDEME visited the community in April, the project was found to be completed but locked.
UDEME also discovered that the N90 million project has no provision for fencing.
Peter Abraham, a resident, blamed the "lack of good governance" for the closure.
"I'm really not satisfied with this work because we have two PHCs, and the worst one is the hospital is still locked and they said it has been commissioned. We are not happy with this."
A female resident, who asked for anonymity for fear of being tracked, said the hospital remained locked due to a lack of accountability by the government.
"We're suffering a lack of good and proper healthcare in Daddere; why will it be commissioned and never used."
She recalled "how health officials wrongly handled a case in the currently existing PHC centre in the community".
"Some time ago, an incompetent health worker caused damage to a patient that resulted in the loss of her child and her womb," she said.
She was referring to Rukaya Abubakar, a 25-year-old resident of the Daddere community. UDEME tracked her to speak more about the incident.
Still pained by her loss, she narrated how she lost her womb and baby during child labour in January 2023.
"I lost my baby and my womb due to poor personnel when I fell into labour in January; I was given injections which caused me pains. After I was given four injections that caused the life of my baby and my womb, I was later referred to Dahatu Araf Specialist, Lafia.
"I lost my baby and my womb after the doctor confirmed to me that the injections had caused me damage in my womb which I will not give birth again," Mrs Rukaya Abubakar said.
'We don't need new PHC'
A community leader, Yakubu Dan Gwandara, said the community doesn't need the hospital facility, adding that Daddere has two existing PHCs. He noted that the senator didn't conduct a needs assessment before starting the project.
"We don't need another PHC, and we already have two functioning PHCs; we only need competent personnel.
"I am speaking on behalf of my community. We don't have a good police station and only two policemen here. We have security issues with Fulani herdsmen; water is another issue too; why doesn't he consult the community," he said.
More reactions
UDEME reach out to Danjuma Joseph, media aide to Mr Al-makura. Mr Joseph said "the project had been completed and executed".
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"My boss has completed and executed his task; the keys to the facility have been handed over to the state primary health care agency.
"The project is equipped with the necessary equipment for use; we have also commissioned and handed over to the state government for operation," he said.
UDEME reached out to BCDA, the agency in charge of the project, to ask questions about the non-usage of the completed project.
The Director of National Planning Intergovernmental and Community Relations, Sadiq Abdullahi, said "The agency's job is to advise and monitor if what is stipulated in the budget is being carried out and executed".
"We only advise on how the project can be carried out and executed, which is what we did in the case of the Daddare project. The project has been completed and executed. I don't have a say on why the facility remains closed," Mr Abdullahi said.
Meanwhile, the state healthcare agency spokesperson, Almustapha Hussaini, said the lawmaker has commissioned and handed the facility to the agency for use.
"The facility has been commissioned, and all the keys handed over to us. However, we want to assure you that the facility will be put into use as soon as the inaugurations are over. The facility has over 90% of equipment put in place by the lawmaker," Mr Hussaini said.
