From Chuks Moses, Awka
The rot that has become the lot of the ‘Nigerian system’ became manifest in Awka, the Anambra state capital with the sudden discovery of no fewer than four brand new ventilators by officials of the state Ministry of Health, in the store.
The discovery was coming on the heels of a presidential promise by President Donald Trump that the United States of America would assist Nigeria in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic by providing ventilators.
Our investigation revealed that ventilators that have become strategic in the fight against the ravaging Covid-19, were procured by the administration of former Governor Peter Obi shortly before he left office. And that along with many other key novel medical equipment, were left allegedly abandoned in their containers unopened until they were discovered.
A source at the state Ministry of Health revealed that more such discoveries would be made as there were many necessary medical equipment procured by Obi for stocking and standardizing the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) Teaching Hospital Amaku-Awka before leaving office.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Commissioner of Health, Dr Okpala proved abortive as several calls /messages to his telephone remained unanswered and unreplied.
But the former Commissioner of Health Prof Amobi Linus Ilika who was incharge when the the ventilators were acquired disclosed that they were part of medical equipment bought by the then administration shortly before it left office.
According to him, “…there could be more, including kidney dialysis machines some of which may be obsolete if not used.
“I can’t remember how many we bought. They were part of medical equipment I bought in the United States of America on behalf of the state government.
“The Government of Mr. Peter Obi bought six container loads of medical equipment and the contents were packed in that big store near Fire Service building along Enugu-Onitsha expressway.
“They should check for more equipment in that big store because there are a lot of them that were procured and secured there before we left office”.
Prof Ilika bemoaned lack of continuity and dysfunctional inventory supervision in most public affairs.