PDP Slams Okpebholo Over N2.5bn Grant to UBTH, Labels Move “Reckless and Misplaced”

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticised Governor Monday Okpebholo’s decision to allocate N2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), describing it as reckless and politically motivated.

Okpebholo had on Tuesday announced the donation during a courtesy visit by UBTH’s new Chief Medical Director, Idia Ize-Iyamu, who sought state assistance in establishing a world-class paediatric centre.

But in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the PDP argued that the funds should have been channelled to state-owned hospitals that are “collapsing under neglect” rather than to a federal institution.

“This misadventure is not only reckless but also a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that have defined Okpebholo’s one year in office.

“Edo people are being abandoned while their resources are diverted to federal facilities that are not the state’s responsibility,” the statement read.

The opposition party cited the Stella Obasanjo Hospital which was renovated with state funds but remains largely underutilised alongside the Edo Specialist Hospital and the General Hospital in Abudu, describing the latter as “nothing more than a patent medicine shop.”

Nehikhare accused the governor of ignoring urgent health crises at home while chasing “cheap popularity.”

“Doctors in Edo only recently suspended a strike, with many of their demands still unmet. Yet instead of fixing our broken hospitals and expanding capacity, the governor prefers to play philanthropist with Edo people’s money. That is not leadership, it is a reckless waste,” he stated.

The PDP aligned itself with the Association of Resident Doctors in state employment, who have also condemned the governor’s action as misplaced priority.

The statement added: “Edo people did not elect a governor to donate to federal institutions; they elected one to strengthen our healthcare system and guarantee access to quality treatment. Okpebholo’s decision proves he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with reality. Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on 2027.”

Efforts to get the state government’s response were unsuccessful as a senior official, who declined to be named, told reporters that a statement would be issued later today.