Benue govt gives contractors marching orders over delayed PHC renovation

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, has expressed dissatisfaction over delays in the renovation of six Primary Health Care (PHC) centres across the state, directing contractors handling the projects to accelerate work while ensuring strict compliance with approved standards.

The projects, funded by the Global Fund through UNICEF, are aimed at revitalising primary healthcare facilities and improving access to quality maternal and child healthcare services, particularly for women of child-bearing age, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under the age of five.

The Information Officer of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Grace Akure, in a statement, stated that Dr. Ogwuche issued the directive during an inspection tour of the projects in six Local Government Areas LGAs, of the state, where he assessed the level of work and observed that the contractors had exceeded the initial six-week completion timeline.

“I am not satisfied with the pace of work. Contractors must speed up the projects and ensure that every aspect of the construction meets the required specifications and quality standards,” the commissioner said.

He also pointed out defects in some of the ongoing works, directing that roofing and the positioning of certain units be adjusted to conform with approved designs before completion.

The six health facilities covered were PHC Ameladu in Gboko LGA, PHC Aliade in Gwer East LGA, PHC Ayilamo in Logo LGA, PHC Asa in Otukpo LGA, PHC Orokam in Ogbadibo LGA and PHC Igede in Oju LGA.

Officials accompanying the inspection disclosed that while PHC Asa in Otukpo was being rebuilt into a completely new facility, the remaining five centres were undergoing renovation and expansion to accommodate more patients and enhance service delivery.

At PHC Ameladu in Gboko, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Samuel  Mbatsoron, directed engineers to replace the roofing sheets and fix the ceiling in line with approved specifications, insisting that the project must meet expected standards before handover.

Responding, the contractors apologised for failing to complete the projects within the agreed timeframe but assured the inspection team that all outstanding works would be completed and handed over to the Benue State Government on or before July 30, 2026.

The supervision team included the State Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Laminu Nur; the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr. Austin Adanu; and UNICEF’s Vaccine Cold Logistics (VCL) Officer, Yusuf Mvumble.

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