Lagos community, Ibonwon, cries out over neglect of health centre, alleges equipment looting by govt officials
By Chukwuma Umeorah
Residents and traditional leadership of Ibonwon community in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State have raised a the alarm over what they described as a deliberate and prolonged abandonment of their primary healthcare centre (PHC), following the removal of essential equipment by local government officials more than four years ago.
During a recent advocacy visit by the ATM Networks, a coalition of civil society organisations, the community expressed outrage over the deplorable state of the once-functional health centre, which now lies in total disrepair. The facility lacks medical personnel, beds, medical supplies, power, water and general maintenance, rendering it completely non-operational.
The community’s traditional leader, Oloja Ganiu Ogegbo, the Ogegbo of Ibonwon, who received the ATM advocacy team at his palace, described the situation as a glaring example of government abandonment and systemic injustice against his people.
According to him, the community had enjoyed the use of the facility until approximately four years ago, in 2021, when officials from the Epe Local Government allegedly took away nearly all equipment from the Ibonwon PHC under the guise of temporarily borrowing them for the commissioning of a new health centre in Noforija, a neighbouring community.
He said: “They came with their vehicles and took away all our equipment to go and maintain another facility. It is wrong. Now they have deprived us of the basic medical care. It is absolutely unacceptable.”
He revealed that the removal occurred during the administration of Dr. Aiyeola Nurain, then Medical Officer of Health for Epe LGA. He said that the officials had claimed that the equipment ordered for the Noforija facility had not yet arrived and requested to “borrow” Ibonwon’s equipment for the commissioning, promising to return them immediately afterward.
While admitting that the community leadership permitted the transfer in good faith, the monarch stated that the promises were never fulfilled. The equipment was never returned, and despite repeated appeals, including formal letters to local and state authorities, no effort has been made to retrieve those equipment.
“This is intimidation, we have tried several to retrieve those items, but to no avail. We are appealing to the state government and other concerned authorities to come to our aid. That health centre served as the first point of call for people of our community. It had the potential of even becoming the next general hospital because of how well it functioned before all these happened.”
He alleged that the deliberate refusal to return the equipment may have been politically motivated, claiming that powerful interests within the local government were more focused on developing their own communities, even if it meant depriving others in Ibonwon of basic healthcare. He further alleged that funds for the PHC at Noforija equipment were most likely appropriated by either the local or state government, but were mismanaged or diverted.
Since the removal, the Ibonwon PHC has gradually deteriorated. Due to the absence of medical services, miscreants have vandalised parts of the facility, and with no security, cleaners or maintenance in place, the building is now overgrown with weeds and visibly abandoned.
Ogegbo lamented the complete absence of government presence at the centre, stating that the authorities have done nothing to salvage or restore it despite repeated outcries.
“If the state set up a health centre in a community, they should be able to monitor and maintain it. They have watched how the place has gradually deteriorated up till this point of visible decay, yet they didn’t intervene.”
As part of the advocacy mission, the ATM Network also visited the Sagidan community, also within Epe, where the PHC is operational but in need of support. While engaging with residents, the team carried out sensitization on the importance of utilizing primary healthcare facilities instead of resorting to unverified herbal remedies and self-medication. Pregnant women were particularly encouraged to access antenatal care services offered at little or no cost and handled by certified health professionals.
They also sensitized the community leader on the issue of gender-based violence (GBV) and the reporting mechanism in addressing any complaints from survivors with the assurance of getting justice.
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