The Federal Government does not build general hospitals but President Goodluck Jonathan has waived two vital rules to establish a princely N2.8 billion new general hospital for his hometown, Otuoke, effectively placing the coastal community as an exclusive beneficiary of a strange largesse not known to federal laws, according to Premium Times.

It is not clear how and when the federal government first conceived the hospital project, as it was not listed in federal budgets between 2009 and 2011, and even after.

But the Federal Executive Council meeting of August 17, 2011, presided over by Mr. Jonathan, gave approval for the project, and a N2.8billion contract was hurriedly awarded to Messrs Avandale Limited. The job was projected to last only 12 months; and indeed, unlike the usual delay government projects face, it was delivered on time.

As the administration became aware that PREMIUM TIMES was making extensive enquiry about the hospital, President Jonathan hurried to Otuoke on Saturday to purportedly inaugurate the 40-bed hospital, which has now been named Otuoke Comprehensive Cottage Hospital.

At the ceremony, Mr. Jonathan claimed the project began as an initiative of the Bayelsa state government in 2006 before it was taken over by the presidency.

He did not say why he mandated the MDG office, which he personally supervises, to spearhead the project. Mr. Jonathan also did not tell his audience that an estimated N2.8billion federal money was pumped into the project, although a report say the project was eventually completed at a cost of N3.5billion.

Apart from the fact that it was never budgeted for (a violation of the appropriation law), the project breached a longstanding government policy requiring that the federal government provides only tertiary (teaching hospital, federal medical centers, and specialist hospitals); while the states build secondary facilities (general hospitals). Local governments provide primary facilities (health centers).

An exception to that rule, lately, has been the federal government’s direct intervention in local health care, in a spirited campaign against maternal and infant mortality, ahead of the 2015 target date for the actualisation of the Millennium Development Goals.

Otuoke hospital is a general hospital, strictly a secondary health facility, which should have come under the responsibility of the Bayelsa state government. But in 2011, few months after securing his official first term, President Jonathan sidelined that requirement, authorized through the Federal Executive Council, the construction of the N2.8billion hospital in his hometown, and personally supervised its speedy completion within 12 months.

The hospital stands clearly as the only known general hospital nationwide deliberately constructed with federal money by the president since taking office in 2010, a review of government projects, budgets and implementation records show.

Federal health officials also confirmed, in interviews with PREMIUM TIMES, the anomaly of the Otuoke project.

“The federal government is only concerned about tertiary health institutions, anything more than that, we don’t know,” a top official of the ministry of health headquarters said. Many of the officials who spoke insisted on anonymity, for fear they might be victimized.

“We don’t have any responsibility with general hospitals,” the official said.

Mr. Jonathan approved the erection of the hospital in Otuoke even when a Federal Medical Centre, FMC, had already been established in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. Federal Medical Centres were established nationwide in states that do not have Federal University Teaching Hospitals present, for the purpose of providing tertiary level health care, which is within the purview of the Federal Government in the concurrent nature of health care delivery system in Nigeria, explains a government policy document seen by this paper.

Covering up illegality through the MDG

Mr. Jonathan himself knows he has broken the law by taking over the responsibility of the Bayelsa State government to establish a general hospital for his community. Perhaps to address that concern, the Otuoke hospital project was approved and executed not as a ministry of health project, but as part of intervention projects by the Millennium Development Goals office.

Even at that, the project breached the MDG plan. Where it appears minimally in line, its scale far outweighs similar allocations in other states, showing the imbalance that often characterize federal projects; and how the beneficiaries of such indiscretions are always the constituencies of powerful public officials. President Jonathan’s action also underlines the nepotism that usually characterise the siting of federal projects across the country.

The MDG office, headed by Precious Gbeneol, a known loyalist of the president, helps with water projects, renovates schools, builds small health centers and assists in health projects that specifically apply to maternal and infant health.

Two staff of the MDG office said they were not aware of projects such as the building of general hospitals anywhere. “It’s not what we do, we build only health centres, water projects, education and things like that,” one official said.

While affirming that position, a spokesperson for the office, Desmond Utomwen, however said the MDG department occasionally provides specific assistance to existing general hospitals in special circumstances. He cited how the office assisted the Obstetric unit of Kubwa general hospital in Abuja.

A detailed review of budgets and government project records show the nature of assistance the office provides. Besides supplies of drugs, contraceptives, antiretroviral drugs, insecticide-treated nets and the construction of primary health centers, a number of hospitals received minimal interventions in the form of renovation and completion between 2009 and 2013. All did so at far minimal rate, compared to the hospital in Otuoke.

The presidency refused to comment for this story. Telephone calls to presidential spokesperson were neither answered nor returned while an emailed message to the same official is yet to be responded to.

Otuoke: From a quiet hamlet to a controversial city

A low lying coastal settlement with a population of a few thousands, Otuoke, in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa state, has undergone rapid transformation and unprecedented development just for being the birth place of a president, putting behind its poverty, and rapidly emerging into a modern city.

After Mr. Jonathan became president, the town’s poor past dramatically faded with its roads expanded, drained and lit by street lamps.

When the president approved six new universities shortly after taking office, one went to Otuoke, to fill Bayelsa state’s slot.

The transformation of the community has however also brought loads of controversies within the three years of the president’s tenure.

In early 2012, President Jonathan shocked Nigerians when he led his local Anglican Church to receive a curious donation of a 1200-seater auditorium from Italian construction firm, Gitto, a federal contractor that has continued to bid for construction jobs from the administration.

Many Nigerians consider the donation an attempt by the company to curry favour from the president.

When critics raised concerns that by receiving the church gift, the president had violated his office’s code of conduct which bars him from accepting gifts from government contractors while in office, Mr. Jonathan and his supporters hit back, questioning the rationality of turning down a worship centre donated by a private entity to a community.

The Otuoke community managed to stay out of media glare until 2013 when politicians and government allies again gathered for a fund raiser for the same small church.

At the event, controversial businessman, Arthur Eze, donated N1.2 billion while the Akwa Ibom state governor, Godswill Akpabio donated N230 million purportedly on behalf of 23 governors of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, drawing outrage from Nigerians.

While the community steadied through the controversies, it remained a top destination for high ranking federal government projects, as it effortlessly scooped key road, water, education and health projects, a review of the budgets since 2009 show.

A similar blend of projects is hard to come by in several other poverty-stricken villages across the Niger Delta.

Between 2010 and date, while other communities struggle to receive road and water projects, from the intervention agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission, Otuoke constantly got allocations. By 2012, its focus went beyond roads, and it was given a N2.08 billion “ultra modern market.” The job was handed to Kari Investment Company Limited on November 4.

This year, the community is listed in the budget for a new School of Midwifery, even though it already hosts a federal university.

culled from Premiumtimesng

http://www.ogusbaba.com/2013/06/exclusive-jonathan-violates-nigerian.html

ok

na wa o,,,

Some will be here to justify his actions with response such as: na Niger-Delta oyel money, and Jona na their pikin!

@ Mr. Peteremu, I wanna ask yu jus a question. This money yu quoted, is it ur money? If he didn't do anytin, yu will insult him. Now, he doing some tin yu are still dragging his name to de mud. My guy relax, de money is not urs. @ de end, he'll give acct of his stay in office.

lool. Rubbish Article.
1. Which Law has he violated?
2. How did he 'corner' 3 Billion?
3. Has he done anything illegal?

I think Premium times are taking stuidity to an amazing height. they are unprofessionalism personified!

stebell: @ Mr. Peteremu, I wanna ask yu jus a question. This money yu quoted, is it ur money? If he didn't do anytin, yu will insult him. Now, he doing some tin yu are still dragging his name to de mud. My guy relax, de money is not urs. @ de end, he'll give acct of his stay in office.

lols if this is what u wanna write u wudnt have quote the OP name na lols,,, after all na GEJ dey rule

When Augustus Aikhomu, former vice president to Ibb cornered a 200 bed hospital to Uromi in the late 80's, I was one of those that complained as to why the vp will use federal funds to establish a hospital in his hometown.

That hospital was later attached to Ambrose Alli University as a teaching hospital, and thousands of Nigerians have benefited from the citing of that hospital.

Aikhomu could have diverted the 200million naira used in building the hospital to a swiss account, like other politicians do and the benefits of the current hospital would have been lost.

Am of the opinion that I federal medical Centre in yenegoa is not enough to service over 2 million people living in Bayelsa state.

Let's criticise objectively.

oddy4real: lool. Rubbish Article.
1. Which Law has he violated?
2. How did he 'corner' 3 Billion?
3. Has he done anything illegal?

I think Premium times are taking stuidity to an amazing height. they are unprofessionalism personified!

Spending unappropriated money is tantamount to stealing and it is an impeachable offense.
The behaviour of the president is exactly why the country is in such a mess.
Of what value or priority is otuoke in bayelsa when even the oil to the government stake a claim is not derived from there.there are poorer and more remote places in bayelsa which would have benefitted more from this. this clannish and tribalistic behaviour is the exact reason why the country is in such a mess.
Obj never exhibited such behaviour while he was president. He treated/mistreated everybody the same way.
While using his position as president to funnel cash to otuoke/bayelsa, his minions are busy looting the state dry. Bayelsa is one of the state in Nigeria receiving enough money to build a world class infrastructure and society.
If jonathan and his minions were not busy looting bayelsa and nigeria, the money could have been available as assistance to truly poor states like ebonyi,ekiti,yobe . Even the governors of these poor states deemed it necessary to build hospital out of their limited resources.why can't bayelsa do the same with her gigantic allocation?
NIGERIA IS RULED BY LEPERS AND THE LEADERS ARE............................................I REST MY CASE

stupid people if it is that he gave them small portion of the money nd carry the rest to his foreign bank account dey ll not talk nw he is usin it to build what we need in this country u people wnt let it be...


Outro:: stupid bigots

Everyday for the thief, one day for the owner. Hehehe.

He has proven to be a true son of his people.

What will his people enjoy if he didn't do such things?

Abegiiii, free that dude jur

bloggernaija:

Spending inappropriated money is tantamount to steeling and it is an impeachable offense.
The bahaviour of the president is exactly why the country is in such a mess.
Of what value or priority is otuoke in bayelsa when even the oil to the government stake a claim is not derived from there.there are poorer and more remote places in bayelsa which would have benefitted more from this. this clannish and tribalistic behaviour is the exact reason why the country is in such a mess.
Obj never exhibited such behaviour while he was president. He treated/mistreated everybody the same way.
While using his position as president to funnel cash to otuoke/bayelsa, his minions are busy looting the state dry. Bayelsa is one of the state in Nigeria receiving enough money to build a world class infrastructure and society.

You need to read through the write up and understand that the aim is just to find faults.
A project approved by the Federal executive council can not be regarded as a project not approved.

A 12 months project inaugurated August 2011 and completed 22 months later can't be said to be a rushed project.

Local governments up north have federal presence littering every where. It is only in the South you have to start searching for federal projects.

bloggernaija:

Spending unappropriated money is tantamount to stealing and it is an impeachable offense.
The behaviour of the president is exactly why the country is in such a mess.
Of what value or priority is otuoke in bayelsa when even the oil to the government stake a claim is not derived from there.there are poorer and more remote places in bayelsa which would have benefitted more from this. this clannish and tribalistic behaviour is the exact reason why the country is in such a mess.
Obj never exhibited such behaviour while he was president. He treated/mistreated everybody the same way.
While using his position as president to funnel cash to otuoke/bayelsa, his minions are busy looting the state dry. Bayelsa is one of the state in Nigeria receiving enough money to build a world class infrastructure and society.
If jonathan and his minions were not busy looting bayelsa and nigeria, the money could have been available as assistance to truly poor states like ebonyi,ekiti,yobe . Even the governors of these poor states deemed it necessary to build hospital out of their limited resources.why can't bayelsa do the same with her gigantic allocation?
NIGERIA IS RULED BY LEPERS AND THE LEADERS ARE............................................I REST MY CASE

i think you made some valid points up there....

ogb5:

Am of the opinion that I federal medical Centre in yenegoa is not enough to service over 2 million people living in Bayelsa state.

Let's criticise objectively.

LIAR!!! Check d population figure of Bayelsa state below

List of Nigerian states by population

Map of Nigerian states by population density

Map of Nigerian states by total population
The following table presents a listing of Nigeria's 36 states ranked in order of their total population based on preliminary 2006 Census figures.[1]
RankStatePopulation
1Kano State9,401,288
2Lagos State9,113,605
3Kaduna State6,113,503
4Katsina State5,801,584
5Oyo State5,580,894
6Rivers State5,198,716
7Bauchi State4,653,066
8Jigawa State4,361,002
9Benue State4,253,641
10Anambra State4,177,828
11Borno State4,171,104
12Delta State4,112,445
13Imo State3,927,563
14Niger State3,954,772
15Akwa Ibom State3,902,051
16Ogun State3,751,140
17Sokoto State3,702,676
18Ondo State3,460,877
19Osun State3,416,959
20Kogi State3,314,043
21Zamfara State3,278,873
22Enugu State3,267,837
23Kebbi State3,256,541
24Edo State3,233,366
25Plateau State3,206,531
26Adamawa State3,178,950
27Cross River State2,882,988
28Abia State2,845,370
29Ekiti State2,398,357
30Kwara State2,365,353
31Gombe State2,365,040
32Yobe State2,321,339
33Taraba State2,294,800
34Ebonyi State2,176,947
35Nasarawa State1,869,377
36Bayelsa State1,304,515
–Abuja Federal Capital Territory1,405,201

bloggernaija:

Spending unappropriated money is tantamount to stealing and it is an impeachable offense.
The behaviour of the president is exactly why the country is in such a mess.
Of what value or priority is otuoke in bayelsa when even the oil to the government stake a claim is not derived from there.there are poorer and more remote places in bayelsa which would have benefitted more from this. this clannish and tribalistic behaviour is the exact reason why the country is in such a mess.
Obj never exhibited such behaviour while he was president. He treated/mistreated everybody the same way.
While using his position as president to funnel cash to otuoke/bayelsa, his minions are busy looting the state dry. Bayelsa is one of the state in Nigeria receiving enough money to build a world class infrastructure and society.
If jonathan and his minions were not busy looting bayelsa and nigeria, the money could have been available as assistance to truly poor states like ebonyi,ekiti,yobe . Even the governors of these poor states deemed it necessary to build hospital out of their limited resources.why can't bayelsa do the same with her gigantic allocation?
NIGERIA IS RULED BY LEPERS AND THE LEADERS ARE............................................I REST MY CASE

Bros you dey mind them?

Was money appropriated for the hospital project in the Appropriation Acts of 2011, 2012 and 2013? Does it not amount to an egregious violation of the provisions of the constitution to allocate funds which are not appropriated by the National Assembly that is constitutionally vested with the power of appropriation of Public funds? According to this report, the project was not listed in the budget between 2009 and 2011, and even after.

When you jettison a longstanding government policy of not building secondary health facilities because those in-the-need are your people. Is that not an evidence of a government sullied by "Clannish Nepotism"? Though this is not new in Nigeria, but we all thought he promised a fresh air, a break away from the past.

No one is against him showering the goods of democracy on his people, but it should be done the right way.

So u wanted him to take d money to switzerland?? Nonsense post!!!

ogusbaba1:
hmm see who dey call person fool,, where you come from? for your information lagos has d population of over 13million if not more than

Your comment should be directed at the person who quoted doctored census figures that says Lagos is 9million and bayelsa is 1.3 million

ogb5: When Augustus Aikhomu, former vice president to Ibb cornered a 200 bed hospital to Uromi in the late 80's, I was one of those that complained as to why the vp will use federal funds to establish a hospital in his hometown.

That hospital was later attached to Ambrose Alli University as a teaching hospital, and thousands of Nigerians have benefited from the citing of that hospital.

Aikhomu could have diverted the 200million naira used in building the hospital to a swiss account, like other politicians do and the benefits of the current hospital would have been lost.

Am of the opinion that I federal medical Centre in yenegoa is not enough to service over 2 million people living in Bayelsa state.

Let's criticise objectively.

My question to you is, for how long will GEJ rule the country? If every president is citing projects in his home town, what becomes of other towns, cities and villages that will never produce a president?

This action of GEJ and whoever, is irresponsible to say the least. It is a show of visionlessness as a leader of a country and crude way to manage a country.

Tell me, how is Etuoke more important than other towns in Bayelsa state? How is Etuoke more important that other towns elsewhere in the country? How are the people of Etuoke more important that other Nigerians?

GEJ has shown himself again as lacking leadership quality and acumen.

People like GEJ should not have been near the seat of leadership of a country. A villager leading a country.

jjcbuthot:

My question to you is, for how long will GEJ rule the country? If every president is citing projects in his home town, what becomes of other towns, cities and villages that will never produce a president?

This action of GEJ and whoever, is irresponsible to say the least. It is a show of visionlessness as a leader of a country and crude way to manage a country.

Tell me, how is Etuoke more important than other towns in Bayelsa state? How is Etuoke more important that other towns elsewhere in the country? How are the people of Etuoke more important that other Nigerians?

GEJ has shown himself again as lacking leadership quality and acumen.

People like GEJ should not have been near the sit of leadership of a country. A villager leading a country.

Even if Jonathan have decided to build the
Hospital in Nembe or Brass or Yenegoa. Those who want to complain would have still labelled it nepotism,asking why he did not build it in Lagos or Port Harcourt.

Being a good leader does not mean your immediate constituency must not benefit anything from your position.

When Jonathan leaves that office, someone else will enter. Just as Jonathan is building power projects, airports a.d rail lines in other peoples villages today, future leaders will remember his village

ogb5: When Augustus Aikhomu, former vice president to Ibb cornered a 200 bed hospital to Uromi in the late 80's, I was one of those that complained as to why the vp will use federal funds to establish a hospital in his hometown.

That hospital was later attached to Ambrose Alli University as a teaching hospital, and thousands of Nigerians have benefited from the citing of that hospital.

Aikhomu could have diverted the 200million naira used in building the hospital to a swiss account, like other politicians do and the benefits of the current hospital would have been lost.

Am of the opinion that I federal medical Centre in yenegoa is not enough to service over 2 million people living in Bayelsa state.

Let's criticise objectively.

stupid pple dy always luk for excuse to bk an act of illegality...d money used in executing d said project waz gotten frm where? since its nt in d budget...dats an absolute act of NEPOTISM which should be rejected @all level of governance..as a president he av to LEAD AS AN EXAMPLE for d surbodinate and nt d oda way round.dats Y FASHOLA still take it frm me as d bst of all in NIGERIA...

.

Premium Times was obviously on a fault finding mission here.

How can a project that was approved by the Federal Executive Council, headed by Jonathan, be said to have been "hurriedly awarded to Messrs Avandale Limited"? It appears Premium Times is confused. Contracts are first awarded BEFORE they reach the FEC for approval and announcement. It is not after FEC approval that you "hurriedly" award contracts.

Again, I do not see anything bad with siting of some projects in Otuoke provided other parts of the country are also seeing one federal projects or the other. It is only natural for the president's community to enjoy slightly more benefits by default. It will be very shameful if the president finishes his tenure without much benefit to his state and community.

The cottage hospital in question was built by the MDG office in collaboration with the state govt and will be managed by the state govt. While many communities may not have seen the same magnitude of MDG projects (compared to the N2.8billion cottage hospital in Otuoke), the MDG office is also executing projects in many communities, including maternity hospitals

While x-raying the cottage hospital and federal university being built in Otuoke ( and 11 other communities nationwide) we should not forget the MEGA federal projects going on in the other parts of the country, including the almost over N200billion Lagos- Ibadan standard guage rail lines that was recently awarded, the nearly N100billion Abuja-Kaduna standard rail line that is now about 65 completed, the over N100billion Abuja light rail, the mega road projects in several parts of the country, etc etc.

..."As the administration became aware that PREMIUM TIMES was making extensive enquiry about the hospital,
President Jonathan hurried to Otuoke on Saturday to
purportedly inaugurate the 40-bed hospital, which has
now been named Otuoke Comprehensive Cottage
Hospital...."

the above got me infuriated..who the Helll do premium times think they are??...

olatunji21:
stupid pple dy always luk for excuse to bk an act of illegality...d money used in executing d said project waz gotten frm where? since its nt in d budget...dats an absolute act of NEPOTISM which should be rejected @all level of governance..as a president he av to LEAD AS AN EXAMPLE for d surbodinate and nt d oda way round.dats Y FASHOLA still take it frm me as d bst of all in NIGERIA...

have you taken time to check if it is not actually budgeted for. So with your little brain you believe that a project approved by the Federal Executive council will not be budgeted for. Or in your dreams you think the Senate and House will not appropriate money for a project in the president's home town that has been approved by the FEC.

Obviously you are a little child, stop insulting your elders.

Fashola is your model, GEJ built Secondary health centre, you say he is doing the role of the state government, mean while Fashola is building Primary health centres, you are celebrating him, forgetting that primary health centres are the responsibility of the local government

ogb5:

Even if Jonathan have decided to build the
Hospital in Nembe or Brass or Yenegoa. Those who want to complain would have still labelled it nepotism,asking why he did not build it in Lagos or Port Harcourt.

Being a good leader does not mean your immediate constituency must not benefit anything from your position.

When Jonathan leaves that office, someone else will enter. Just as Jonathan is building power projects, airports a.d rail lines in other peoples villages today, future leaders will remember his village

That is why everybody apart from PDP is saying that the power of the centre has to be reduced. They have do much money to waste in Abuja .

Premium times has ran mad again.

bloggernaija:

That is why everybody apart from PDP is saying that the power of the centre has to be reduced. They have do much money to waste in Abuja .

who is the everybody saying this?

The west have been screaming for long that they need true federalism, same with the east and south-south. Now we have a south-south president and a strong eastern support, how did the west respond, they sold the position of the speaker of the house to the North and are currently aligning with the north, the same north who are hell bent against true federalism.

Just leave the hypocrisy of Nigerians, what they say is different from what they believe in.

I wonder why people still waste time on GEJ'S known biased antagonists on NL.
They obviously don't care if the news article was miscontrued or false.
All they want is for the headlines to scream "anti-jonathan" and they will run with it.

king of pool: stupid people if it is that he gave them small portion of the money nd carry the rest to his foreign bank account dey ll not talk nw he is usin it to build what we need in this country u people wnt let it be...


Outro:: stupid bigots

Tell d mumus ooo,,,idle keeperssssss.