Multinational Companies, Host Communities Advised on Project Execution

Multinationals and other corporate organisations executing health projects in their host communities have been charged to always liaise with the Ministry of Health to avoid project duplication.

The Bayelsa State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei, gave the charge in Epebu Community in Ogbia Local Government Area during his inspection of health facilities.

Dr. Owei, who also urged benefiting host communities of such projects to always liaise with the ministry for advice before the execution of such projects, said avoiding project duplication will serve the interest of the state and the communities better.

He said within the next three months, the state government would equip and put the facility built by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company into use because of its location within the community, adding that the facility built by the state government would be used for other programmes on account of its location that is a bit far from the community.

The commissioner said the Restoration Agenda under Governor Dickson will ensure that all the health facilities in the state are functional, stressing that government is revitalizing the health sector in the state and urged communities to ensure the protection of such health facilities.

Dr. Owei commended the Epebu Community which has 10 oil wells and has not been involved in any case of oil theft and pipeline vandalism and called on other communities in the state to emulate them.

He enjoined the community to also ensure the safety of health personnel when they are posted to the community, adding that government would not post medical personnel to communities where health workers would not be protected.

In his speech, the Commissioner for Power, Chief Partner Jim-Ogbolo, who is an indigene of Epebu Community, said in spite of having 10 oil wells, Epebu is a peaceful community, adding that oil communities are contributing to the economic development of the country.

Chief Ogbolo said a good number of roads have been constructed in the community by the Nigeria Agip Oil Company and would want the federal and state governments to construct a road to link Epebu community to the rest of the state.

He enjoined the commissioner of Health to give Epebu community a helping hand in the area of health by equipping the health facilities in the community and putting them into use.

In their welcome address, the community said the cottage hospital the commissioner of Health was visiting, was built by the Rivers State Government in 1989 as a primary healthcare centre without a medical doctor, adding that the second hospital was built by the previous administration, without being commissioned while the third health facility was built and equipped by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company.

According to the community, due to the crises that engulfed the community and its neighbour, Emadike Community, sometime ago the primary health care centre has not been rendering services even though other government institutions such as the two primary schools, the Junior Basic Secondary and the Senior Secondary Schools have since been reopened for normal official activities following the return of peace to the community about ten years ago.

The community said due to the non functionality of these health facilities, people of the community suffer untold hardship as cases of emergencies are usually taken to Yenagoa and Okolobiri for treatment, adding that this had resulted in loss of lives and appealed to the Commissioner of Health to come to their aid.