Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has dismissed Dr. Samuel Alli, the Commissioner for Health, citing significant delays and inefficiencies in completing critical health projects. The announcement came on Monday during Obaseki’s inspection of ongoing construction at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City.
Speaking to journalists after the inspection, Obaseki expressed frustration with the slow progress of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which he had promised would be completed months ago. He criticized Dr. Alli’s performance, stating that the project was behind schedule due to what he described as the commissioner’s lack of capacity and sloppiness.
“The Stella Obasanjo Hospital should have been operational by now,” Obaseki said. “I had committed to the people of Edo that all projects would be finished before my term ends. The delay is unacceptable, and it is clear that the Commissioner for Health was not up to the task.”
Obaseki emphasized that in the remaining months of his administration, he would personally oversee the health sector projects to ensure they meet their deadlines. He announced that he would now meet weekly with the Director of Health to keep projects on track.
He further highlighted a specific issue with the hospital project: a contractor had provided an advance payment to the Ministry of Health on July 4, 2024. However, the necessary paperwork had not been processed, preventing the contractor from beginning work. This kind of administrative delay, according to Obaseki, demonstrates a broader issue of inefficiency and lack of seriousness in handling government projects.
“Failures in decision-making and bureaucratic delays have hampered progress,” Obaseki noted. “We will now insist on more accountability and ensure that anyone who cannot meet their responsibilities is removed. All equipment for the hospital is already on-site, but delays in processing payments have stalled construction.”
The governor’s decision to remove Dr. Alli reflects his commitment to ensuring that all government projects are completed efficiently and on time. As Obaseki takes a more hands-on role in supervising health projects, the focus will shift towards addressing and overcoming the obstacles that have previously hindered progress.
With this change, the Obaseki administration aims to accelerate the completion of key health infrastructure projects and fulfill its promises to the people of Edo State before the end of the governor’s term.
