PDP Criticizes Okpebholo and Oshiomhole Over Attacks on Obaseki’s Stella Obasanjo Hospital
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has slammed Governor Monday Okpebholo and the newly appointed Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Adam Oshiomhole, for their criticism of the recently inaugurated Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin. The hospital, named after former First Lady Stella Obasanjo, was inaugurated on November 6, 2024, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo during the final days of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration.
Following the inauguration, Dr. Oshiomhole, after inspecting the facility, identified what he termed “construction errors” and claimed that the hospital was incomplete, with ongoing construction and missing equipment. Governor Okpebholo echoed these concerns, describing the inauguration as a “sham,” and stated that the Obaseki administration had only painted the building and installed air conditioners, misleading the public into believing the hospital was fully operational.
In response, the PDP condemned the statements made by Okpebholo and Oshiomhole, accusing them of lacking the credibility to critique the hospital’s standards. The PDP argued that the Stella Obasanjo Hospital was a significant and transformative project that ranks among the best healthcare facilities in the South-South region, if not the entire country. They emphasized that the improvements made by the Obaseki administration, including the expansion and equipping of the hospital, were pivotal in upgrading the state’s healthcare infrastructure.
The PDP also criticized Oshiomhole for his hypocrisy, pointing out that his father, Adams Oshiomhole, who was governor before Obaseki, oversaw the flawed construction of another specialist hospital in the state, which had structural defects that led to a fatal collapse. The party called out the current administration for attempting to diminish the impact of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital for petty political reasons.
Obaseki’s media adviser, Crusoe Osagie, also defended the former governor, asserting that no amount of lies or propaganda could tarnish Obaseki’s legacy of transformation in Edo State. Osagie urged the Okpebholo administration to focus on governance and development instead of resorting to divisive tactics and falsehoods. He praised Obaseki for his “bold, transformative, and impactful” contributions to the state, asserting that his legacies are undeniable, and cannot be undermined by the current government’s criticisms.
