Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed visited Oke Oye to inspect a ₦16 million maternity health center constructed in 2019. The facility now lies abandoned, devoid of staff and critical supplies, leaving the surrounding six communities without adequate medical care.
By Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
Oke Oye, located in the Ikotun ward of Oyun Local Government Area in Kwara State, is surrounded by five other communities but has no health center.
Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed visited Oke Oye to inspect a ₦16 million maternity health center constructed in 2019. The facility now lies abandoned, devoid of staff and critical supplies, leaving the surrounding six communities without adequate medical care.
A Promising Start, A Bitter End
The health center, built during the COVID-19 pandemic, was facilitated by Hon. Tijani Ismail, the Member representing Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun constituency in the House of Representatives, and constructed by B. Solar Energy Limited.
Oke Oye maternity health center with new bed, Picture by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
It features three rooms with six new beds, a doctor’s office, and a spacious waiting area. The walls are painted in a cheerful light yellow and green, and the building is fully tiled. But for the residents of Oke Oye, the facility is little more than a symbol of broken promises.
Despite the well-constructed building, essential services such as electricity, potable water, and most critically, medical staff, are missing. The center has been locked since it was handed over to the community.
A Community Abandoned
Despite the efforts of Hon. Ismail to deliver on his campaign promise, the state government’s lack of support has left the Oke Oye health center abandoned.
Meanwhile, the community members has continued to maintain the facility, organizing periodic clean-ups to prevent it from falling into disrepair. But without staff, electricity, and running water, the center remains a stark reminder of unfulfilled promises.
As the facility gathers dust, residents continue to suffer, their hopes for quality healthcare dashed. With no immediate action from the Kwara State Government, the ₦16 million project risks becoming another symbol of rural neglect.
Oke Oye maternity health center waiting room, Picture by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
Our Happiness Turned to Sorrow
Mujidat Jimoh, Picture by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
A pregnant woman who stopped attending antenatal care due to the health centre’s inadequacies, said, "The day I came back from Lagos and saw the building, I was so happy that our community would finally have a medical healthcare center. However, since 2019, nothing has been done, and my happiness has turned into sorrow."
Mujidat Jimoh, a pregnant woman in her 20s, told this reporter how she abandoned antenatal care due to the inadequacies of the medical health center in their community.
She explained the challenges and stress she experienced: "The child I gave birth to before this pregnancy was not a pleasant experience to share. On the day I went into labor, the bike that took me to the hospital was jolting due to the bad road conditions.
"We truly appreciate the person who facilitated this project, but the challenges we face as pregnant women are overwhelming. Often, we have to give birth at home, which is risky for both the baby and the mother."
She urged Ismail to use his influence to liaise with the state government to recruit more medical personnel for the abandoned healthcare center.
No Staff, No Services
It was a wet and cloudy Saturday morning when this reporter arrived at the house of Baale Oke Oye, Alhaji AbdulWahab Ariyo. He confirmed the community’s disappointment when he took this reporter on a tour of the abandoned facility.
Baale Oke Oye, Alhaji AbdulWahab Ariyo, Pictures by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
“When the project was completed, we were so hopeful. But without staff or supplies, this building is just a shell,” he lamented.
Alhaji Ariyo mentioned that the project was funded by the federal government but facilitated by Hon. Tijani Ismail.
"When the facility was built, we hoped it would alleviate our healthcare challenges. When our women become pregnant, they have to travel six miles to seek medical assistance," he said.
"Sometimes, if our children get sick, we travel as far as Aboto-Oja in Afon to get medical attention. If the condition is critical, we need to go to Offa General Hospital, which is nearly 12 kilometers away from here."
He said the absence of the healthcare center has added to their burdens.
Alhaji Ariyo recalled that when Ismail was campaigning, the community requested a healthcare center, and he promised to make it available if the opportunity arose. According to Baale Oke Oye, the lawmaker fulfilled his promise.
However, since the completion of the healthcare facility, no staff member has been recruited. He said they went to the Oyun Local Government and begged for assistance, but they were informed that they were short of staff.
Baale Oke Oye added that the facility has been locked since the day it was handed over to the community.
"At least there is some equipment in the facility, but there are no medical personnel to attend to patients or prescribe medication,” he said.
He complained that the healthcare facility lacks running water and electricity. Although they have informed the state government, they promised to provide the necessary assistance, but all their efforts have yielded no results.
He appeals to the state government to consider the plight of pregnant women, children, and elderly people who need medical attention, given that the healthcare facility lacks medical personnel.
Community leader, Mr Isiaka Yusuf, Pictures by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
With a trembling voice, he looked fatigued as he explained that he had just returned from Aboto-Oja, where he had taken one of his sons for medical attention.
We Are Left To Suffer
The community leader of Oke Oye, Mr Isiaka Yusuf, expressed deep frustration with the state government’s inaction over the lack of staff at the medical facility.
"We have appealed and written letters to the state government several times to help us bring medical personnel to the healthcare center, but they have never considered our plight," he said.
He said the community always prays for pregnant women not to go into labor during the night due to the insecurity and the difficulty of finding a motorcycle to transport them to hospitals in places like Igbona, Afon, and Offa.
He added that the lawmaker representing the Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun constituency has done his part as promised, but the state government is frustrating these efforts by failing to provide the necessary medical personnel.
He urged the state government not to abandon the multi-million project due to the disconnect between the lawmaker and the state government.
State Neglect and Community Efforts
Although the maternity health center was built as part of a federal government initiative, however, the responsibility of staffing and maintaining the facility lies with the Kwara State Government.
Despite several appeals, the state government has yet to assign medical personnel or provide essential utilities like water and electricity.
Kolawole Muritala Ahmadu, Pictures by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
Kolawole Muritala Ahmadu, one of the community leaders who monitor the healthcare facility and ensure it is well-maintained since it was handed over to the community, said every three months, the community mobilizes themselves to clean the healthcare facility and trim the grass surrounding the building.
"A building that does not have people present inside is more likely to collapse or develop cracks. However, if people are present, the building will be well-maintained," he said.
Healthcare Personnel Crisis In Kwara
The Kwara State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) has recently announced a recruitment drive aimed at filling critical vacancies in basic healthcare facilities across the state.
In a statement released on September 16, 2024, by LGSC Chairperson Umar Shero, in response to a growing shortage of medical personnel, particularly in rural areas outlined that the vacancies include positions for medical doctors, nurses and midwives, community health officers (CHO), community health extension workers (CHEW/JCHEW), pharmacists, lab technicians, and health attendants.
The Crisis At Hand
Kwara State has long struggled with inadequate healthcare services, especially in its rural communities. Many health facilities are understaffed, leading to increased patient-to-provider ratios, extended wait times, and a general decline in the quality of care.
However, critics have argued that simply inviting applications may not adequately address the systemic issues plaguing the healthcare sector.
The focus on ad-hoc staff raises concerns about the sustainability of healthcare solutions. Many of these temporary workers lack job security, training opportunities, and adequate resources, which may hinder the long-term improvement of healthcare services.
Desperate Situations For Pregnant Women And Children
The impact on pregnant women is particularly severe. Many, like Kudiratu Shehu, have resorted to using local herbs or untrained midwives due to the lack of access to proper medical care.
Kudiratu Shehu, a resident of Oke Oye, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of medical staff, explaining how women in the community resort to using local herbs due to the lack of access to medical care in the area.
She explained to this reporter the challenges faced by the women in the community due to a shortage of medical health personnel.
"The assistance provided to the community has become ineffective. The facility was built specifically for women and children, but the lack of staffing has turned it into a nightmare for the community.
"Prolonged hope can lead to despair. For the women among us, there is no place to receive antenatal care, especially during labor. Our men have to go to great lengths to transport us to Offa, which is nearly 16 kilometers away,” she said.
Kudiratu Shehu, Pictures by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
She stated that the purpose of the facility is to be productive and serve Oke Oye and the surrounding communities.
"Medical doctors always advise against giving birth at home and using local midwives due to potential risks. However, due to transportation costs and insecurity, people are forced to rely on local options because of the lack of medical personnel,” she said.
She commended the lawmaker who facilitated the project and appealed to the state government to support the community with medical personnel so that residents can access essential healthcare services.
Pleas for Action
As residents continue to suffer from preventable complications due to lack of medical care, their appeals to the Kwara State Government grow more urgent.
Some of the residents lamented that the facility was built to save lives, but “right now, it’s nothing more than a reminder of our failed hopes”.
They called on the state government to do its part, describing it as a matter of life and death.
For now, the people of Oke Oye and surrounding villages remain in limbo, waiting for the day when the doors of their health center will finally open—and their healthcare needs will be met.
Hon. Tijani Ismail Response
Hon. Tijani Ismail, the Member representing Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun constituency in the House of Representatives, informed this reporter through his aide, Mr Kolapo Mohammed, that all necessary steps to ensure the posting of medical staff to the facility have been taken by the lawmaker.
"A letter was written and forwarded to the Kwara State Commissioner of Health to ensure that medical staff are posted to the medical center. The local government has also followed up on the issue," he said.
Oke Oye Residents, Pictures by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
"The immediate past TIC Chairman is from the ward where the hospital is located, and he mentioned that they have been waiting for the state government to take action," he added.
Kwara State Commissioner For Health Is Silent On Issue
The Kwara State government has remained tight-lipped over the reasons behind the abandonment of the Maternity Health Center in Oke Oye, which has remained non-functional since its completion in 2019.
Freedom of Information (FOI) Request
The multi-million-naira facility was expected to provide critical healthcare services to the community, particularly maternal and child healthcare.
Oke Oye maternity health center with new bed, Picture by Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
However, five years after construction, the centre has neither been inaugurated nor staffed with medical personnel.
This reporter submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, seeking clarification on the factors that led to the delay in deploying healthcare workers to the facility.
The request also asked for detailed information on the management and any operational plans for the health center.
Despite the legal requirement to respond to FOI requests within seven days, the Commissioner’s office has yet to provide any information.
The Freedom of Information Act, passed into law in 2011, gives citizens the right to request and receive information from government agencies, including details on public spending and project implementation. The failure of the Kwara State Commissioner for Health to honour the request raises legal and ethical questions about transparency in governance.
However, when this reporter contacted the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, to confirm why the medical facility has been abandoned since its completion in 2019, she responded, "Well, I don't have all the 540 medical facilities in Kwara State memorized, and this was a project completed five years ago. I will need to check the records and get back to you."
She had yet to get at the time of filing this report.