Constituency Project: ICPC recovers Hospital, hands over to University Community

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has handed over a hospital worth One hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N150, 000,000) to the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI).

The Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Group of ICPC had in the course of the phase two of its tracking exercise traced the Constituency Project being a hospital located at Ebunwana community in AFIKPO SOUTH LGA of Ebonyi State.

The spokesperson of the Anti- graft agency Mrs Azuka Ogugua disclosed this in a press statement in Abuja.

The statement said, “the hospital, which was fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities was conceived as a Medical outpost of FUNAI and meant to serve as a teaching hospital for her medical students.”

According to the statement, the project, which was appropriated in 2019 and completed in March 2020 at the cost of the above sum, was facilitated by the then Senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji.

“After the completion of the project, the local community unofficially took over the hospital even though it was not meant for it and went ahead to rename the facility and appoint a consultant to manage the hospital on a profit-sharing arrangement between the community and the consultant.”

 “Following the illegality that enshrouded the constituency project, the Commission stepped in to ensure that the hospital was handed over to the institution for which it was appropriated and executed.” The statement explained.

The project has been recovered by the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Group CEPTG team of the ICPC and handed over to the University community on 25th March 2022.

Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing to unravel how the local community got access and took control of the hospital without any official ceremony.

Dominica Nwabufo