Controversy as Federal hospital stripped of equipment to aid Osun University accreditation
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
A firestorm of controversy has erupted in Osun State after a federal hospital was allegedly stripped of its critical medical equipment.
The assets were reportedly moved to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital (OSUTH) in a desperate and shocking bid to secure accreditation for its medical programs.
This controversial move has sparked public outrage and raised serious questions about the state government's commitment to healthcare and its handling of public property.
The controversy began when a concerned citizen, Akin Adeyi, raised an alarm on Monday, alleging that officials of Governor Ademola Adeleke's administration were seen carting away equipment from the Federal Government’s Mother and Child Hospital in Oke-Oniti, Osogbo.
In a statement released to the media, the Chief Medical Director of OSUTH, Dr. Babatunde Afolabi, corroborated the claims, stating that "equipment was relocated from the centre to the main hospital for postgraduate accreditation purposes."
He added that the move followed "due process" and that the equipment would be returned after the exercise.
This admission has triggered a firestorm, raising serious questions about the state government's commitment to public health and its handling of federally-owned assets.
Dr. Afolabi’s statement revealed a disturbing timeline of neglect at the Mother and Child Hospital, which was commissioned in 2022 as part of a federal initiative to improve maternal and child health.
Despite being fully equipped with over 120 beds, operating theaters, and labor rooms, the facility has been left to rot.
According to the CMD, the hospital, which was handed over to the state government three years ago, has yet to begin operations because it is awaiting an electricity connection and staffing.
Even more scandalous is Afolabi’s confirmation that an investigation into the theft of medical items from the center last year is still ongoing.
Reacting to this, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State through its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, alleged internal sabotage and called for a full federal investigation.
The APC accused the State government of deliberately abandoning the federal facility while fraudulently looting its equipment to shore up the state teaching hospital's deficiencies.
"Why did the state government remove the equipment from a federal government center to shore up its infrastructural deficiencies? Why didn't the state government purchase its own equipment?" Olabisi questioned.
"This raises serious concerns about the commitment of the Governor Adeleke government to the health needs of the citizens."
Critics are also asking whether the previously stolen equipment was simply converted for use at the teaching hospital. The APC has now called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene, recover its assets, and revamp the center for the benefit of Osun citizens.
The unfolding scandal has ignited a debate over the alleged politicization of healthcare infrastructure and highlights the urgent need for accountability in the management of public assets.