FENRAD demands transparency, requests disclosure of 200 primary healthcare facility locations under project Ekwueme

Stanley Ihedigbo

Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) is calling on the Abia State Government to prioritize transparency and accountability in the implementation of “Project Ekwueme”.

This project aimed to rehabilitate, remodel, and retrofit 200 primary healthcare facilities across the state’s 184 wards.

In a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) request addressed to His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, the Executive Governor of Abia State, through the Commissioner for Health, FENRAD has requested the disclosure of detailed information on the locations of the healthcare facilities selected for the project.

According to the Executive Director/Founder of FENRAD, Comrade Nelson Nwafor, the organization seeks to support the government’s efforts by independently monitoring the project’s implementation to ensure that it meets its objective of enhancing access to quality healthcare, particularly in rural communities.

“We commend the Abia State Government for its commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure through this laudable initiative. However, in the spirit of transparency and public accountability, we urge the government to provide the full list of the 200 primary healthcare facilities, including their locations and implementation timeline,” Comrade Nwafor stated.

FENRAD’s FOI request specifically seeks the following details of the comprehensive list of the 200 primary healthcare facilities, including their names and exact geographic locations (addresses and coordinates, if available).

The project implementation timeline for each facility to track progress, fetails of the contractors engaged, including their scope of work and monitoring and evaluation frameworks to ensure quality service delivery.

FENRAD believes that making such information publicly accessible will empower stakeholders, including community leaders and civil society organizations, to actively participate in the monitoring process, helping to prevent acts of sabotage and ensuring efficient utilization of allocated resources.

It will be recalled that Governor Oti while flagging off the project at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Ngwu, Uzuakoli in Bende LGA, assured that the facilitiewouldll be equipped with renewable energy sources, efficient water supply systems, and other support infrastructure to improve operational efficiency.

The Governor further emphasized the use of high-quality materials and the requirement for contractors to provide post-delivery maintenance for at least five years.

FENRAD is optimistic that the Abia State Government will respond positively to this call for transparency, which aligns with global best practices in governance and project implementation.