FMC Abeokuta: Two Months After Musa-Olomu's Exit, President Buhari's Telemedicine Centre, Other Projects Suffer Neglect - INVESTIGATION

ABEOKUTA - Barely seven weeks after Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu stepped aside as the Chief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, notable number of projects initiated and recently completed and those under construction are currently crying for attention. 

When THE ENCOUNTER NEWS paid a visit to the Centre on Thursday, the atmosphere  although busy as usual, but the aesthetic ambience of the hospital is fast losing its value. 

For example, the surroundings of the President Muhammadu Buhari 's International Conference Centre and Telemedicine hall which was recently commissioned is gradually getting overgrown by weeds.

Front view of the International Radiotherapy Centre

It was also observed that, there was complete stoppage of work on some of the on-going projects by contractors and site Engineers working on the projects. 

Some of those projects included the International Radiotherapy Centre, the New Administrative blocks, Medical Director's new office and new Children's Emergency building complex.

Also suffering the same fate of abandonment was the Maternity Complex, a project inherited by Musa-Olomu and to which he had commenced construction work before he exited office on 1st June of this year following the successful completion of his first term in office.

Back view of Muhammadu Buhari International Conference Centre and Telemedicine hall

Some of the contractors handling the projects were surprised  that they were yet to be mobilized back to sites despite the fact that the Centre recently received funds for capital projects from the federal government even after Musa-Olomu's exit from the hospital. 

Competent sources however, revealed that the non release of funds for the execution of the capital projects was due to an instruction allegedly issued to the hospital management by the board Chairman not to touch the funds.

Some concerned parties have started to query the rationale behind the Chairman's directive fearing that the rising inflation rate in the country could make a nonsense of the funds if eventually released to the contractors.

The new Administrative building

Equally, the absence of Prof Musa-Olomu in office was being attributed to the delay in the commencement of construction work of the proposed International Cardiac Centre being donated to the Centre by a House of Representatives member from Ijebu extraction.

The Centre known for peace and industrial harmony especially during the first four years of Prof Musa-Olomu with no single strike action witnessed Doctors and Nurses industrial action penultimate week.

Back view of Muhammadu Buhari International Conference Centre and Telemedicine hall

Many concerned stakeholders are getting worried about the future of the hospital in the absence of the energetic and   Internationally acclaimed thyroid surgeon, Prof. Musa-Olomu who methodically guided the Centre to an enviable first  position in the  recent Servicom Presidency ratings of Federal Medical Centres in Nigeria including his unrelentless efforts which resulted in the successful passage by the Senate of a bill for the establishment of University of Medicine and Medical Sciences in Abeokuta.

Meanwhile, the hospital's Head of Public Relations, Mr. Segun Orisajo was incommunicado as at the time of filing this report, as WhatsAp and text messages sent to him were unread nor replied.