The Kogi State Government under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Ododo has sold a council clinic serving Kabba and Bunu communities in the state.
SaharaReporters learnt that the medical facility was sold to a private buyer and the government has not put any measures in place to build another public owned clinic for the communities.
In an official memo written by the Head of Civil Service addressed to the Caretaker Chairman, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Council, Kabba, Kogi State, and obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday, the staff of the clinic were asked to immediately vacate the facility for the buyer to take over.
The letter read, “Your attention is hereby drawn to the disposal exercise of Kogi State Government which secured the approval of the State Executive Council
“To this end, I have been directed to inform you that the property beside Kabba Town Hall, which Kabba/Bunu Health Department currently uses as Clinic, has been disposed by Kogi State Government.
“It is on this note that you are advised to kindly direct the occupants to vacate the property to allow the buyer take physical possession of it.
“Immediate compliance is expected in this regard.Accept the esteemed regards of the Head of Service, please.”
The memo was signed by Onigbaye Alfred, the Head of Civil Service for the state government and dated 27th May.
Recently, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi chapter had decried the shortage of qualified medical doctors in secondary and tertiary health institutions in the state.
This had been stated in a communique issued at the end of its ordinary general meeting (OGM), the association had also expressed its displeasure over the “delay” in the payment of salaries of doctors in Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, and Prince Abubakar Audu Teaching Hospital, Anyigba.
The communique was jointly signed by Baoku Olusola and Emmanuel Kelvin, the association’s chairman and secretary, respectively.
“We are dismayed by the human resource and manpower gaps in various health institutions at all levels in Kogi state; this is not a good omen for the health sector in the state,” the communique had read.
“We are urging the state government to recruit more qualified doctors to fill up available gaps in various health institutions in the state and ensure regular payments of salaries of doctors and other health workers in specialist hospital, Lokoja and Prince Abubakar Audu Teaching Hospital, Anyigba.
“We appeal to the governor of the state to approve and implement various welfare packages for doctors in the state, including but not limited to the new hazard allowance.”
