ICPC monitors constituency projects in Edo

TRACKING>>BENIN CITY—THE Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, said it has recovered three ambulances in Otuo, Owan East local government area meant for the General Hospital Otuo which has been abandoned since it was built and furnished with equipment worth N200 million through the constituency project of former Deputy Chief whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Pally Iriase.

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Officials of ICPC visited the Otuo General Hospital weekend to ascertain whether the over N200m medical supplies and equipment provided by the Federal Government as Hon. Iriase constituency project executed through the 2017 National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, were on ground.

According to a staff of ICPC who pleaded anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, “We found equipment rotting away at the hospital.

“The ambulances we recovered are now in our office. We have done our report and we hope the state government opens the hospital.”

The Otuo General Hospital was built during the administration of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole but had been placed under lock and key.

Residents in the area had to seek medical attention at Igarra, Afuze or Auchi.

But former Deputy Chief Whip of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Pally Iriase , has described as mischief and a tissue of lies the reports that operatives of the ICPC recovered one of the ambulances from his private residence.

The former lawmaker in a telephone reaction explained that he was the one who informed ICPC that the community kept the ambulances in his house for safe keeping since the state government is yet to put the general hospital over taken by tall weeds to use for the community.

He said: “Why would my name be dragged in the mud for God sake for doing well. The truth is that as we speak, even though I am outside the country, I am aware that ICPC came to Otuo and met with the traditional ruler of the community and his chiefs, and they told them that on no account will the ambulance leave the community.

“No ambulance as portrayed by the publication was retrieved from my house. I was the one who told ICPC that the community kept the ambulance in my house for safe keeping and they have gone to the community and they were told that over their dead bodies will the ambulance will leave the community since they have failed to open the hospital.”