Many residents of Plateau State were full of joy when President Muhammadu Buhari, in July 2021, signed into law the Act establishing the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Jos.
Many people, especially the residents of Jos North Local Government Area felt that, at least for the first time, a tangible development is in the pipeline, perhaps in show of the federal government’s appreciation over the overwhelming support it has been enjoying from especially, the Hausa and Fulani communities in the LGA.
It is expected that by now, almost six months after the signing of the Act, the actual site for the hospital is given by the state government. Many hoped that it will be the abandoned former Jos University Teaching Hospital, situated at the city centre or another land, probably around Narkuta village. However, this hope was dashed as news filtered that the affiliating body of the hospital, the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, has concluded plans to site the hospital in a place outside what was provided in the Act.
Reliable source in the Federal Ministry of Health has revealed that there was a pending feasibility report recommending relocating the hospital from Jos to Barkin Ladi.
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The Chief Medical Director of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Dr Pokop Bupwatda, was quoted in November during a visit to Governor Simon Lalong, as saying that the hospital would be sited at the Lalong Legacy Model Hospital Barkin Ladi.
This is clearly in violation of the Act establishing the hospital. It is glaring that any attempt by whoever or whatever person or authority to relocate the project from Jos to elsewhere, is amounting to violation of the law and, by extension, a total disregard to the aspirations of the people of Jos who have laboured so much to bring in the APC-led government.
We understand that the minister of health is being lobbied and under intense pressure to be an agent of the violation of the law, to concede to the unlawful siting of the hospital away from Jos.
The minister should be aware that succumbing to the pressure to move the hospital away from Jos amounts to flagrant abuse of our rights, being one of those communities that have so much laboured for the successes of the APC.
I sincerely hope that both the minister of health and the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board should not be part of illegality.
We also sincerely hope that our amiable Governor Lalong, known to always uphold due process and a just leader would not allow such flagrant violation of the rule to happen.
We are, therefore, calling on him not only to discourage it, but to also work at ensuring that the orthopaedic hospital is sited in Jos, in accordance with the act establishing it.
It is also my hope that President Muhammadu Buhari will intervene to ensure that the rightful thing is done by directing the minster of health, as well as the Orthopaedic Hospital Management Board, strictly abide by the Act establishing the hospital in Jos.
Alhaji Dan’Asabe Muhammad Tanko, wrote from Jos
