The two hospitals built and commissioned by ex-Imo Governor, Owelle Rochas, Okorocha on Douglas road Owerri are now new found joints for people who smoke marijuana, defecate, urinate and the homeless, despite the presence of men of the state’s security outfit, ‘Operation Iron Gate’ who patrol on the road on a daily basis.
The hospitals namely, Somto Hospital and Diagnostic Centre situated on the premises of the demolished Eke Ukwu Owere market as well as Mother and Child Care Maternity hospital situated on the premises of the demolished new market were not completed by the immediate past governor but were hurriedly commissioned some days before the end of his tenure by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo.
A visit to the two projects by Blueprint correspondent showed that the projects are gradually being destroyed by the heavy rains because they have been abandoned by the present government which has no intention of completing the projects, according to feelers.
Further investigation revealed that the hospital were designed as market stalls but were eventually named hospitals to get the sympathy of the people specifically because a 12-year-old boy, Somtochukwu, was killed by a stray bullet while Okorocha and his security forces were demolishing the markets situated on the same road.
It was gathered that the traders who have been allowed to reoccupy the premises of the Eke Ukwu Owere market as a result of a recent Court ruling which faulted Okorocha’s demolition of the market, now use the uncompleted building as a place of defecation, urination and marijuana smoking because no alternative places of convenience have been constructed or provided since the traders’ return to the market.
Governor Emeka Ihedioha on his part, is yet to fulfill his campaign promise of rebuilding the market for the Owerri people who believe it was their ancestral market and should not be relocated to another place.
