An accountant, Mr. David Sunday Ekundayo, has bemoaned the sorry state of public infrastructures in Isanlu, Yagba East local government area of Kogi state.
In an exclusive chat with Kogi Reports on Sunday, Ekundayo scored the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello low in terms of infrastructural development in Yagba East LGA.
He said the have heard many promises from the governor but are yet to see those promises been fulfilled.
Ekundayo, popularly known as Dedon, expressed concerns that the upgrade and reconstruction of Isanlu General Hospital has long been abandoned by the state government while the ones in Idah, Gegu and other parts of the state had been completed.
“The upgrade and re-construction of the said hospital started sometimes in 2021. Around May that year, I went home, personally visited the site, made a video of the ongoing construction and applauded the quality of work going on at the site.
“I am one of those keenly following the progress of the project as we all look forward to its completion and commissioning but as we speak, the project has stopped for a while now.
“Let me also remind you that other Hospitals that got approval the same time with ours are all functioning now while ours looking like an abandoned project.
“This makes me wonder, what is going on and why our hospital project is abandoned.
“Some well meaning Isanlu and Yagba indigenes has been asking question on this particular project, trying to know the challenges the project is facing but as I speak, no meaningful answer has been given to our questions.
“Myself and other Isanlu sons have had to call the attention of our dear brother, Kogi State Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Idris Mukadam Asiru, and what he told me last was that, not under his watch will any project be abandoned in the state, talk more of the one in his home town.
“I sent him a reminder about this just yesterday as I promise myself not to relent, until I see the completion and commissioning of that project,” he said.
Ekundayo said the failure to complete the hospital project has caused residents untold hardship as they have to travel far to access basic health needs.
“For instance, in 2019, my mother was sick and they had to rush her to ROTAB Hospital in the middle of the night. From there, she was referred to Egbe and she was rushed there that very night where she was stabilised and given some treatment before we moved her to Abuja where she was operated on at the National Hospital.
“Just imagine there was no means of taking her to Egbe that night, what would have happened?
“A friend of mine also recounted how stressful it was for him and his late mom when she was going to FMC Lokoja (from Isanlu) on weekly basis for her treatment.
“The stress wouldn’t be that much if our General Hospital is functional.
“Isanlu residents are going through a lot as a result of lack of functional government General Hospital in the community which this abandoned project could have solved.
“Are we going to talk about the financial implication, the psychological trauma, the time factor, the unearned revenue or the emotional/physical stress? The challenges are just too much to mention,” he said.
Speaking on the impact of Governor Bello’s administration in Isanlu, Ekundayo said in terms of infrastructure, he will rate the government low because othe community is not feeling him at all in that regards.
“I will say the current state of public infrastructures in Isanlu is bad. From our roads, hospitals, dam, to electricity, they are all in bad shape. They are almost non-existing. It is that bad.
“We have had many promises from the governor but we are yet to see those promises been fulfilled.
“There was a time we were told that the governor approved the rehabilitation of our pipe borne water (Isanlu Water Project) and there were even claims that the project had been completed but till date, not a drop of water get to Isanlu town from the dam.
“I wouldn’t know if those in charge of these projects are the ones responsible for their abandonment, but I will rate Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration low in Isanlu and Yagba in general.”
