By Osahon Osahon
A civil society group, Alliance for Collective Progress (ACP) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to probe the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole over alleged fraud in the award of the Edo Specialist Hospital, Benin.
The Edo Specialist Hospital was built by Oshiomhole while serving as the governor of Edo State.
The group demanded the probe of the APC national chairman’s probe during a protest to the Benin Zonal office of the EFCC on Monday.
It would be recalled that Governor Godwin Obaseki had constituted a judicial commission of inquiry led by Justice James Oyomire (rtd.), in January 2020, to investigate the construction and supply of equipment for the Edo Specialist Hospital.
The panel indicted the administration of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, now national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), for breach of the state’s public procurement law.
Mr. Nehemiah Omogiate who led the protesters to EFCC, said the call becomes necessary, following the indictment of the former Governor by a judicial commission of Inquiry.
“It was disheartening that the hospital was inaugurated with alleged borrowed equipment.
“We are here to register our grievance concerning the multi-billion naria Edo Specialist Hospital project, a project that President Muhammadu Buhari was deceived to inaugurate four years ago.
“We are aware that the panel of inquiry set up by Governor Godwin Obaseki has submitted its report and in the report, the former Governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole’s administration was indicted.
“Up till now, EFCC has not done anything about it. So, we are here to ask EFCC to act now because no one individual should be bigger than the law.
“That Hospital was commissioned four years ago without equipment. We learnt that the report indicted the former Governor for mobilising the contractor with 75 percent of the contract sum which exceeded the 25 percent mobilisation fees for contractors,” he said.
The group thereafter called on the EFCC to commence investigation into the alleged financial crime in the construction and procurement of equipment in the hospital in the interest of justice and accountability.
The protesters were armed with placards with different inscription; including; ‘Oshiomhole has been indicted, EFCC charge him, Edo people are saying EFCC act now.
The Head of public Affairs EFCC Benin Zonal office, Williams Oseghale, who received the protesters, advised them to submit a written petition to EFCC for further action.
“I have heard you and I am going to take your massage back to the management, but I advise that you also send us a written petition,” he said.
