Residents of Umuanu Village in Ogwa community, Mbaitoli council area of Imo, have lamented the continued abandonment of a health centre situated in the village by government and its contractors.
The residents expressed their concerns in separate interviews with C-Advocate correspondent who went on a field visit to the community.
C-Advocate reports that the sum of N23 million was awarded to the Centre for Basic Space Science, Nsukka, Enugu state, by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Abuja, in year 2022 for the purchase and installation of equipment in the health centre and one other in same council area.
Evidence on ground however confirms that the project has suffered considerable delay with little or no prospect of completion in sight.
This has left many wondering whether there is a good level of accountability in place by relevant authorities and if there are measures for checkmating the completion and delivery of government contracts.
Mrs Uloma Nganwuchu, a trader and resident of Umuanu village said that the project was begun while she was pregnant with her son who is now aged seven.
She expressed joy that the project was sited in her village but blamed the federal government and its contractors for the delay in provision of equipment in the facility.
She called for urgent intervention to make the impact of government projects felt by the populace.
Also, Mrs Comfort Amadi, an octogenarian, said that women of Ogwa community had resorted to self help in providing basic equipment in the health centre.
“ We the women are getting overstretched from the burden of providing equipment for the hospital, and that is why we have paused “, she said.
Another resident, Mr Sunday Uba, a commercial motorcyclist said: “ We have no health centre in the community.
“ Sick people have to go all the way to Atta Ikeduru to access healthcare. This is worrisome, does not speak well of our representatives in government and bears a loud undertone of corruption in the system”, he said.
C- Advocate therefore calls on government to return the contractor handling the project to site for its completion and as a way to guarantee accountability for public trust.
