Lmao, God knows I love politicians to a fault. Read what happened
at the on-going National Conference in Abuja yesterday.
There was mild drama on Tuesday at the National Judicial
Institute, NJI, Abuja, venue of the on-going National Conference, when a
delegate, Sidi Ali, said the biggest private hospital being built in Abuja is
owned by a former Governor of Rivers State.
Delegates continued their deliberations on the report of the
Committee on Devolution of Power and what took the attention of most delegates
in their contribution was the issue of increasing the derivation allocation
from the present 13 per cent.
In his contribution earlier in the day, a delegate
representing the Civil Society, Nasiru Kura, stated that he was not against an
increase in the derivation principle, b ut that whatever additional money the
oil producing states get would eventually go into serving the leaders of the
area to the detriment of the people in the
communities ravaged by oil
exploration.
He said what most governors do is to purchase private jets
and gallivant around.
To buttress Mr. Kura’s position, Mr. Ali during his
presentation said, “As I am talking now, the biggest hospital owned by a
private person in Abuja is being built by a former governor of Rivers State”.
He also recalled how jailed former Governor of Delta State,
James Ibori, offered former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, a bribe of $15 million to stave off
investigation into his affairs.
As soon as Mr. Ali made his allegation, a former Governor of
Rivers State, Peter Odili, who is also a delegate at the Conference, kept
shouting ‘Point of Order’.
When the Chairman of the Conference eventually allowed Mr.
Odili to speak, he denied owning a hospital in Abuja.
“There are many former governors of Rivers State here, but I
happen to be the only medical doctor among them,” he said. “Let me say before
this Honourable House and before almighty God that Dr. Peter Odili have nothing
to do with this so called big hospital in Abuja which has been paraded and
touted by Hon. Sidi Ali.
“If he is sure of his facts, let him stand up and tell this
Hon. House the name of the owner and prove that I am the owner of this
Hospital. I challenge him to do so, and I challenge every Nigerian who believes
that allegation, otherwise I am going to take legal action against him.”
Mr. Kutigi, however, intervened to say that there was no
need for Mr. Odili to be defensive since Mr. Ali did not mention the name of
the former governor he was talking about.
The hospital being referred to by Mr. Ali is called Reliance
Hospital which is still yet to be commissioned and is said to be one of the
best private Hospitals in Abuja.
It is located at Area 11, behind the Nipost Headquarters, in
Garki District of Abuja.
Mr. Odili, who governed Rivers State for eight years,
secured a controversial, perpetual injunction from a court that has prevented
the EFCC from prosecuting him for corruption.
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