PDP Hurl Invectives at Oshiomhole’s Commissioner Son in Backlash Over Faulting Stella Obasanjo Hospital Project

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In what appears to be his rude introduction to the world of politics, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, Edo State Commissioner for Health, and son of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, was on Wednesday brutally dressed down by the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) over his Tuesday’s comment that the 250-bed Stella Obasanjo Hospital, one of the star projects of the immediate past administration of Godwin Obaseki, had some “construction errors”.
Oshiomhole, a medical doctor, is the former governor’s first son whose appointment as commissioner, was the first to be made alongside two others no sooner Senator Monday Okpebholo was sworn in.
Dr. Oshiomhole had in his comments after his inspection tour of the hospital, said, “I went round the Stella Obasanjo Hospital to inspect the facility. I was accompanied on the visit by consultants and the contractor handling the project to look at what they had done so far. We discovered errors made while constructing the hospital. We brainstormed on what to do to ensure we correct the errors detected. We all agreed that the issues should be resolved as I love working with the team”.
Speaking in the same vein, Governor Okpebholo had described the commissioning of the hospital as a scam after he inspected the facility on Tuesday evening, conducted round by the commissioner and other officials of the health ministry.
Recall that the hospital was commissioned by Nigeria’s Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, Wednesday November 6, 2024, barely one week to the exit of Obaseki from office, with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo after whose late wife, Stella, the hospital was named, also in attendance.
In his observation, Governor Okpebholo said “After inspecting the facilities, it is clear that nothing was done here by the Obaseki-led administration as they just painted the building and fixed air conditioners to deceive the people to think the building was completed. I don’t know what Obaseki and the PDP government did.
“This is a sham. Construction was ongoing when he commissioned the building. This is unacceptable. It is unfair. It is cheating to Edo people. We will come back again to talk with the contractor and see how to commission it for Edo people.”
Also commenting, Dr. Oshiomhole said “His Excellency has gone round to see the work and we have a lot of talking to do with the consultant and contractor because we thought that by now, the work would have been almost ready.
“This building was commissioned by the last administration politically, but coming here, it is like an abandoned building at the other side. A lot of explanations need to be done at this point.
“I came here with a team of doctors, surgeons and other medical experts so that they will have their input, and there were some structural defects we saw. We alerted the contractor and promised to correct those errors”.
When contacted, Dr. Oshiomhole shared his concerns with TELL, identifying “significant deficiencies in the architectural design and planning” among others.
PDP Reacts
However, joining issues with the governor and the commissioner, the PDP said the duo lacked the moral grounds to speak on the standard of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital or any other hospital in the state.
In a statement on Wednesday, publicity secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, Chris Osa Nehikhare, accused the governor of desperately attempting to diminish the “undeniable” impact of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital on the state’s healthcare system for political reasons describing the ploy as “petty, ignoble and infantile”.
Nehikhare said “It is widely acknowledged by anyone who has visited or used the hospital that it ranks as one of the best in the South-South region, if not the entire country, and this was made possible by the huge investment made by the immediate past government of His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in upgrading and equipping the hospital to world-class standards.
“We are not surprised by the childish criticism coming from a clueless and incompetent government. Had they been discerning, they would have known that it is to the credit of the state and its government that a hospital of such significance and impact is located in the state and would not have desperately sought to diminish this for petty political reason.”
Picking on the health commissioner, Nehikhare said “It is particularly laughable and ridiculous that Cyril Oshiomhole, the son of the former governor of the state, Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, is the one making these unfounded claims, lamenting about a non-existent structural defect, when it was his father, who as governor, superintended the construction of the Edo Specialist Hospital, where a section of the building collapsed due to structural defects, killing at least two innocent Edo citizens.
“For someone with such a history, it is only hypocritical to point fingers at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, disparaging the fully functional and operational facility where no lives have been lost when his father’s greed and selfishness led to the death of innocent people. He therefore lacks any moral standing to do.
“Or does Cyril Oshiomhole think we have forgotten in a hurry how his father, Adams Oshiomhole as governor, brought the then President Muhammadu Buhari to commission an empty Edo Specialist Hospital without facilities or personnel?
“Or how his father went to Lagos to hire equipments and put on display for the commissioning of the Edo Specialist Hospital and how in the evening of the commissioning, loaded a truck with the rented equipments and returned same to the company located on Agege Motor Road, in Lagos, and placed the hospital under lock and key?
“Does a person from such a deceitful and wicked lineage have the moral fibre to criticise or describe a functional, operational and world-class hospital, renowned as one of the best in South-South region as with structural defect?
“We urge Cyril Oshiomhole and the Okpebholo-led government to bury their heads in shame, while appreciating the impact and transformation that has happened at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital under the sterling leadership of the immediate past governor, His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.”
Dr. Oshiomhole Speaks
Expatiating on the observed “construction defects” in the hospital project, the commissioner told the magazine that “My concerns reflect significant deficiencies in the architectural design and planning of the hospital. Poor structural design and inadequate attention to basic needs can severely compromise the functionality of a healthcare facility and the quality of care it provides”.
Giving a breakdown, he identified five notable errors, namely: lack of of functional spaces like doctors’ offices; poor lighting; neglect of mosquito nets and ventilation; failure to design for the environment; and substandard construction (Carcass).
Speaking to the specific issues, Dr. Oshiomhole explained that “A hospital without designated offices for doctors and other healthcare professionals is not only impractical but reflects a glaring oversight in planning”, stressing that “These spaces are critical for consultations, documentation, and administrative tasks.
He also noted that “Insufficient lighting in a hospital setting can hinder healthcare delivery and pose safety risks to patients and staff”, adding that “Good lighting design is essential for clinical accuracy and creating a safe, welcoming environment”.
He asserted that “In malaria-endemic regions, the absence of mosquito nets is a serious health hazard”, while “adequate ventilation is also crucial for maintaining air quality and reducing the spread of airborne diseases, especially in tropical climates”.
Dr. Oshiomhole insisted that “Architectural designs in tropical regions must account for climate factors, such as heat, humidity, and natural ventilation needs”, positing that “A failure to adapt the design to the local terrain and environment demonstrates poor planning and a lack of context-sensitive solutions”.
The commissioner concluded that “Commissioning a poorly designed and incomplete hospital undermines public confidence and may compromise healthcare delivery”. He said, “It can also reflect wastefulness, as additional resources will likely be needed to fix these issues”.