News

Obaseki And Demolished Benin Central Hospital One Year After

Published

3 years ago

March 14, 2023

Rubble on a portion of the site

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

A Yoruba adage says: ‘Orisa bo o le gbemi, se mi bo o se ba mi’. Meaning: If a deity can’t solve one’s problem, it shouldn’t compound it.

I decided to open this piece with the above Yoruba proverb because it sums up the content of this article.

Expectation of any voter who will vote for a new government is that when such a government comes into office, it will improve the welfare of the people, the infrastructure that it (the new government) met on ground, and build on the ones in existence, etc. .

The opposite is what the Edo State Government led by Mr. Godwin Obaseki has provided for the people of the state especially the state capital.

The Obaseki-led government in Edo State has not only failed to improve most of the infrastructure it met in the state, but unfortunately it has pulled down some of the state’s old legacy projects. It will remain in the memory of the residents for a long time, if not forever.

At this juncture, I must make it clear that this piece is not political motivated neither am I paid by any group or individual, but I am just worried seeing some things happening.

It is beyond the imagination of any right thinking person that a government can wake up and its next thought is to demolish a medical facility – a 100-year-old hospital – under the guise of using the expanse of land for other purposes. What, if I may ask, is more important and necessary for the residents of the state than a medical facility?

Notably, the over 100-year-old hospital was strategically located on a piece of land that could be called the heart of Benin until it was demolished in mid-January 2022. The colonial masters who built the hospital in such a strategic place were never wrong. The idea was undoubtedly to make the hospital easily accessible to everyone, no matter where they are in the city.

Moreover, the health facility was not only well located before the demolition, but also affordable. A resort for ordinary people. A medical consultant fee of N100 (card charge), a patient gains access to medical doctor. Here, an average man takes his wife to a pregnant woman during the prenatal and postnatal period. The hospital, before it demolition, had qualified doctors and quality medical services were provided by professional doctors.

The 100-year-old Benin Central Hospital is not the only heritage project being demolished by the current Edo State government. The source of knowledge was also demolished – the state-owned library on Sapele Road, a stone’s throw from the Central Hospital. Many other private buildings too numerous to mention have been demolished and their lands revoked under the current Edo State government, but the focus of this article is not those projects but the Benin Central Hospital, the demolition of which has caused untold hardships for many, especially registered ante-natal pregnant women, yet after over a year no single structure has been erected on the site

Pregnant women are the hardest hit in this regard. The antenatal ward of the hospital has been relocated to Sickle Cell Centre on Gabriel Igbinadion Way, GRA, near the former Central Hospital Benin. Though the new location is not very far from the former central hospital, due to the city’s traffic arrangement, many of the pregnant women are forced to trek the distance. This because there are regularly ‘town service vehicles’ plying the route except can which some may not afford. So they’re mostly seen on foot especially when they are returning from the medical checkup. It has been therefore very stressful for the pregnant women.

Meanwhile, before the demolition, when the state’s main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress Party (APC), warned of plans to demolish the hospital, the Edo State government under the leadership of Obaseki denied it.

A statement signed by the state’s Assistant Publicity Secretary, Victor Osheobo had raised the alarm on how the state government plans to demolish the old hospital and replace it with an ultra-modern car park. The party argued then that the government’s justification for demolishing the hospital makes no sense.

“We call it not only strange and evil, but also unacceptable. This is because no right-thinking government wants to replace a viable medical facility with a parking lot that should be equipped and staffed to better serve the well-being of the people,” the statement said.

In addition, it has been also rumoured in some quarters that the Edo State Government under Obaseki planned to build the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) on the expanse of land, and that this is the reason for the demolition.

But the government denied all this. Edo State Government through the then Commissioner for Communications, Mr. Andrew Emwanta, stated that the government was not planning to dismantle the medical facilities but to relocate the hospital to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital. The government argued that this will pave the way for the transformation of the 100-year-old hospital. The Commissioner said that the Central Hospital has been in existence for over 100 years; therefore, most of the facilities were very old and did not support the provision of modern care.

Either moving the old hospital to pave the way for the renovation or pulling it down completely, 13 months after no structure is erected on the land. Although active construction is currently underway, and some construction workers can be seen working on the site, which have been cordoned off with roof shingles for months, this is not what the city’s residents expect after the demolition.

Or is it the transformation of the hospital promised by the Obaseki government?

The most worrisome, after over 13 months of it demolition, most people in Benin City do not even know what the government intends to build on the land that can warrant it (the government) demolishing a hospital that is over 100 years old.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria

Published

12 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.

He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.

“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.

He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.

“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.

“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.

DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

News

IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police

Published

13 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.

Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.

Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.

News

Court Orders SERAP To Pay DSS Operatives N100m For Defamation

Published

18 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has ordered a non-governmental organization, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, to pay N100 million as damaged to two operatives of the Department of the State Services, DSS, for unjustly defaming them in some publications.

The court also ordered SERAP to tender public apologies to the defamed officers,
Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, in two national newspapers, two television stations and its website.

Besides, the organization was also ordered to pay the two operatives N1 million as cost of litigation and 10 percent post-judgment interest annually on the judgment sum until it’s fully liquidated.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory gave the order on Tuesday while delivering judgment in a N5.5 billion defamation suit instituted against SERAP by the DSS operatives.

The judge found SERAP liable for unjustly defaming the two DSS operatives with allegations that they unlawfully invaded its Abuja office, harassed and intimidated its staff, in September 2024.

In the offending publication on its website and Twitter handle, SERAP alleged that the two operatives unlawfully invaded and occupied its office with sinister motives.

The judge held that the publication was in bad taste especially from an organization established to promote transparency and accountability, as nothing in the publication was found to be truthful.

The DSS staff had listed SERAP as 1st defendant in the suit marked CV/4547/2024. SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, was listed as the 2nd defendant.

In the suit, the claimants – Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele – accused the two defendants of making false claims that they invaded SERAP’s Abuja office on September 9, 2024..

Counsel to the DSS, Oluwagbemileke Samuel Kehinde, had while adopting his final address in the mater urged the judge to grant all the reliefs sought by his client in the interest of justice.

He admitted that although the names of the two claimants were not mentioned in the defamation materials, they had however established substantial circumstances that they are the ones referred to in the published defamation article by SERAP on its website.

The counsel submitted that all ingredients of defamation have been clearly established and the offending publication referred to the two officials of the secret police.

However, SERAP, through its counsel, Victoria Bassey from Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, law firm, asked the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that the two claimants did not establish that they were the ones referred to in the alleged defamation materials.

She said that SERAP used “DSS officials” in the alleged offending publication, adding that the two claimants must establish that they are the ones referred to before their case can succeed.

Similar arguments were canvassed by Oluwatosin Adefioye who stood for the second defendant, adding that there was no dispute in the September 9, 2024 operation of DSS in SERAP’s office.

He said that since SERAP in the publication did not name any particular person, the claimants must plead special circumstances that they were the ones referred to as the DSS officials.

Besides, he said that there is no organization by name Department of State Services in law, hence, DSS cannot claim being defamed adding that the only entity known to law is National Security Agency.

The claimants had in the suit stated that the alleged false claim by SERAP has negatively impacted on their reputation.

The DSS also stated, in the statement of claim, that, in line with the agency’s practice of engaging with officials of non-governmental organisations operating in the FCT to establish a relationship with their new leadership, it directed the two officials – John and Ogunleye – to visit SERAP’s office and invite them for a familiarization meeting.

The claimants added that in carrying out the directive, John and Ogunleye paid a friendly visit to SERAP’s office at 18 Bamako Street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja on September 9 and met with one Ruth, who upon being informed about the purpose of the visit, claimed that none of SERAP’s management staff was in the country and advised that a formal letter of invitation be written by the DSS.

John and Ogundele, who claimed that their interactions with Ruth were recorded, said before they immediately exited SERAP’s office, Ruth promised to inform her organisation’s management about the visit and volunteered a phone number – 08160537202.

They said it was surprising that, shortly after their visit, SERAP posted on its X (Twitter) handle – @SERAPNigeria – that officers of the DSS are presently unlawfully occupying its office.

The claimant added, “On the same day, the defendants also published a statement on SERAP’s website, which was widely reported by several media outfits, falsely alleging that some officers from the DSS, described as “a tall, large, dark-skinned woman” and “a slim, dark skinned man,” invaded their Abuja office and interrogated the staff of the first defendant (SERAP).

John and Ogundele stated that “due to the false statements published by the defendants, the DSS has been ridiculed and criticised by international agencies such as the Amnesty International and prominent members of the Nigerian society, such as Femi Falana (SAN)”.

“Due to the false statements published by the defendants, members of the public and the international community formed the opinion that the Federal Government is using the DSS to harass the defendants.”

They added that the defendants’ statements caused harm to their reputation because the staff and management of the DSS have formed the opinion that the claimants did not follow orders and carried out an unsanctioned operation and are therefore, incompetent and unprofessional.

The claimants therefore prayed the court for the following reliefs: “An order directing the defendants to tender an apology to the claimants via the first defendant’s (SERAP’s) website, X (twitter) handle, two national daily newspapers (Punch and Vanguard) and two national news television stations (Arise Television and Channels Television) for falsely accusing the claimants of unlawfully invading the first defendant’s office and interrogating the first defendant’s staff.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N5 billion as damages for the libellous statements published about the claimants.

“Interest on the sum of N5b at the rate of 10 percent per annum from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is realised or liquidated.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N50 million as costs of this action.”