COVID-19: Drama as Edo hospital rejects guber aspirant’s donation

There was a mild drama at the Edo state government-owned central hospital in Benin City after officials of the facility reportedly fled from their duty post to avoid receiving a customised hand sanitizers donated by a governorship aspirant in the state, Dr. Pius Odubu.

Odubu had said the donation was part of efforts to assist health care personnel in the containment of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the state.

The aspirant who is a former deputy governor of the state, alongside three other aspirants on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) have vowed to stop Governor Godwin Obaseki from securing the party’s ticket for a second term.

The Director General of Odubu Campaign Organisation, Barrister Henry Idahagbon, who confirmed the incident said, “the hospital management had agreed on 11.am last Wednesday to receive the donation.”

He expressed concern that no official of the hospital was on ground to receive the donations on behalf of the health workers when the organisation visited on the agreed date.

According to him, “When we got to the hospital, we called the Medical Director, Dr. Edomwonyi to intimate him of our presence in the facility.

“His (MD) response was that ‘My brother I am not around and you know this is politics’.

“At that point, we left and proceeded to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) where we made the donations.”

The MD, Dr. Edomwonyi  Ekuase, could not be reached for comment as calls to his mobile lines did not go through.

However, the state commissioner for health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, said he was not aware of the development.

Okundia said: “It is not to my knowledge. You need to also find out whether some people have picked them and kept them somewhere.”

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