Obasanjo and others commend Obaseki at the inauguration of Stella Obasanjo Hospital
Speaking during the inauguration of the reconstructed and expanded Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City on the 6th of November, 2024, former President Olusegun Obasanjo praised governor Godwin Obaseki for the transformation across sectors and called for further investment in human capital. This event not only showed the development in health infrastructure in Edo State but also focused on human development as the key to sustainable development.
Obasanjo called Governor Obaseki a “builder” who has transformed the lives of people across Edo State. He commended the governor for having embarked on multi-sectoral reforms for the past eight years and turning the state into a beacon of change. “The reforms and changes you have ventured across different sectors within the past eight years are admirable,” Obasanjo said, adding that governance is a continuous process and that leaders should endeavor to improve on the activities embarked upon by previous leaders.
The former president made the remarks when he was launching the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, a health facility that is being rehabilitated for the purpose of delivering quality health services. He further pointed out that the hospital is an example of what visionary leadership portends for a healthy state and a productive nation. Speaking to the audience, he said,
“This hospital has turned into the representation of the result of what is possible for the welfare of our people”
Political human capital development was another major message that was conveyed during Obasanjo’s speech. He appealed to the heads of national, state, and local governments to pay attention to the quality and efficiency of services provided to people. “Let me remind my political colleagues and partners: There should be no politics here and now; we should focus on people instead,” he urged, pointing at citizens’ welfare as the ultimate goal of any governance.
Obaseki said that over 200,000 youths—both men and women—have been trained across the state by his government, given the task to transform the state through some vocational skills.
”We are doing a lot in an effort to enhance the quality and longevity of our citizens and to put our state on the right track for growth and prosperity”
Symbolizing the progress in the direction of Obaseki’s healthcare plan is the newly unveiled Stella Obasanjo Hospital. The governor agreed that the COVID-19 problem unveiled the problems in the healthcare sector, and changes had to be made. ‘I had no idea how dire our health system was until COVID-19 struck the world,’ he said, adding that COVID has been a wakeup call, realizing that his administration owes a lot to the health sector.
He stressed that it is essential to understand that healthcare is not only buildings but also the people who work in these structures.
”We train doctors, nurses, and other health care practitioners,” he said, adding that there is importance of having skilled individuals in the health sector to deliver proper health care.
The Stella Obasanjo Hospital is not just a hospital; it is a legacy of the late first lady, who was a symbol of care, love, and charity. In his appreciation, Obasanjo thanked Obaseki for paying him homage through the renovation of the hospital in honor of his late wife. “By honoring her, you are also honoring me,” he stated, in relation to the personal meaning that he has in relation to the revival of the facility.
Obaseki’s support for healthcare is not limited to investment in infrastructure. He has recently introduced the Edo Health Insurance Scheme, which seeks to ensure affordable health care for people.
“Today we have the most realistic health insurance scheme in Nigeria,” he boasted, informing that now about three hundred thousand people are covered by the program.
However, he noted some constraints that his administration has been facing, especially the arrest of the state accountant-general and other signatories to the account of the state.
‘‘Today, I am not a happy man because my contractors have slowed down work because Edo has not been able to function properly,’’ he said, stressing that political and bureaucratic hurdles remain the biggest obstacles to efficient governance.
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This statement from Obasanjo is another pointer to the fact that leadership remains an essential determinant of the future of any state. Following the areas of human capital development and quality healthcare, Governor Obaseki is building a better future for Edo State. Using the words of Obasanjo,
“This will become a referral center that will be complementary to primary health care and specialized health care”
