By PAUL MICHAEL
A constituency project, a hospital worth N150 million, has been recovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from Ebunwana community in Afikpo South LGA, Ebonyi State that took possession after its completion.
The hospital, which was appropriated in 2019 and completed in March 2020, was facilitated by the then Senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District, Sonni Ogbuoji. After the completion of the project, however, the local community unofficially took over the hospital though it was meant for the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), The Trumpet gathered.
The community also went ahead to rename it and appoint a consultant to manage the hospital on a profit-sharing arrangement between the community and the consultant. Following the illegality, the ICPC stepped in to ensure that the hospital was handed over to the Institution for which it was appropriated and executed.
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A statement by the spokesperson of the commission, Azuka Ogugua, said, “The Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Group of ICPC had in the course of the phase two of its tracking exercise traced the Constituency Project being a hospital located at Ebunwana community in Afikpo South LGA of Ebonyi State.
“The hospital, which was fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities was conceived as a medical outpost of FUNAI and meant to serve as a teaching hospital for her medical students,The Trumpet gathered.
“The project has been recovered by the CEPTG team and handed over to the University community on 25th March 2022.” Meanwhile, the commission has said investigations are ongoing to unravel how the local community got access and took control of the hospital without any official ceremony.
