By CHARLES IWUOHA

The host community of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu, Ebonyi State has petitioned the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Agwu Uzoma demanding detailed explanation of the alleged N7.5bn budgetary allocations to the hospital in the last two years and how the funds were spent.

The community said their probe of the funds was contained in Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.

It therefore demanded that the hospital?s management release comprehensive records of budgetary allocations, project approvals and implementation details between 2023 and 2025.

The petition addressed to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the health institution , signed by the community?s Lawyer, Lucky Ezealor, the community expressed concern over the management of public funds and the transparency of project implementation within the teaching hospital.

According to the petition, the community seeks ?full and detailed information, records, and documents? covering allocations for both completed and ongoing projects ? including those purportedly sited outside the hospital?s premises.

Among the numerous projects listed are several high-value allocations captured in the hospital?s 2023?2025 budgets, including construction/Provision of Hospital/Health Centres N100,000,000 (2023); N120,000,000 (2024), renovation of hospital complex building, N100,000,000 (2023); N120,000,000 (2024); N200,000,000 (2025), Intern Hostels N1.45 billion, oxygen Plants N291.5 million, Molecular Laboratory Phase I N364.3 million, newborn intensive care complex, N728.7 million, CT Simulator N364.3 million.

Others are; solar energy installation N220 million, purchase of land for expansion N290 million, community outreach programmes across Ebonyi, Benue, Abia, Akwa Ibom, and the South-West region totaling over N1.1 billion among others.

The community asked the hospital management to provide names of contractors and contract sums for each project, level of completion and disbursements made to date and physical locations of all projects, including those situated outside Uburu.

Citing Sections 1(1), 2(3), 4, and 7(5) of the FOI Act, the community emphasized that the hospital was legally bound to provide the requested information within seven days or face legal action.

?Any willful refusal, neglect, or failure to comply would constitute a violation of the Act, actionable under Section 20, which empowers citizens to approach the Federal High Court for judicial enforcement and damages?, the community said .

Reacting to the petition, the hospital said it was not a stranger to public scrutiny, stressing that as a public institution, it was natural for various critical stakeholders to take an interest in the hospital?s operations.

It however observed that the ultimatum to the hospital by some locals, for the release of records of budgetary allocations, project approvals, and implementation details for fiscal years from 2023 to 2025 and documents, covering allocations for both completed and ongoing projects, and the threat to escalate the matter to court and seek judicial enforcement?while legitimate in principle, appear to be part of a broader scheme that warrants closer examination.

?As we navigate the intricacies of the enquiry, we wish to inform the concerned individuals that we are carefully processing the request, as some information requested may require inputs and comments of other Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government.

?However, the timing and tone of the demand raise eyebrows, coming immediately a neighbouring community within the same local government was pronounced permanent site of the newly established DUFUTH College of Health Technology, a decision opposed within DUFUTH?s host community.

?The Freedom of Information bill, while a legitimate tool for transparency, has been clearly wielded in this instance as a sword seeking to ridicule and disgrace.

DUFUTH as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health, operates within a defined framework of accountability, with multiple oversight bodies from our supervising ministry, hospital board, internal and external auditors ensuring the integrity of its operations like sentinels guarding the gate of probity.

?The hospital records are an open book. Its tenders board conducts open and transparent bidding processes, advertised publicly in national dailies, with every transaction and decision meticulously documented for scrutiny, and BPP standard followed to the letter. Under the incumbent CMD, transparency is the sole anchor that steadies the ship called DUFUTH?, the hospital said through its Public Relations Officer, Agwu Nwogo said.

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