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 a detailed explanation of how the alleged N7.5bn budgetary allocations to the hospital in the last two years were spent.
The community said the probe is inspired by the powers conferred on it by the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.
It 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 of the health institution and signed by the community’s Lawyer, Lucky Ezealor, 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 those captured in the hospital’s 2023–2025 budgets, including construction/Provision of Hospital/Health Centres ₦100,000,000 (2023); ₦120,000,000 (2024), renovation of hospital complex building, ₦100,000,000 (2023); ₦120,000,000 (2024); ₦200,000,000 (2025), Intern Hostels ₦1.45 billion, oxygen Plants ₦291.5 million, Molecular Laboratory Phase I ₦364.3 million, newborn intensive care complex, ₦728.7 million, CT Simulator ₦364.3 million.
Others are solar energy installation for ₦220 million, purchase of land for expansion ₦290 million, community outreach programmes across Ebonyi, Benue, Abia, Akwa Ibom, and the South-West region, totalling over ₦1.1 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 emphasised 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, noted 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 nforcement…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, Departments and Agencies, MDAs of the federal government.
“However, the timing and tone of the demand raise eyebrows, coming immediately after a neighbouring community within the same local government was pronounced a 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.
