Tension is mounting in Ogbaku community, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, as residents push back against what they describe as an attempt to remove critical medical equipment from a newly commissioned primary healthcare centre.
The facility, which was recently inspected and handed over by Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah on March 29, 2026, became the centre of controversy after unidentified individuals allegedly arrived on April 2 in a government-branded vehicle to tamper with installed equipment.
In a petition dated April 3, 2026, the Ogbaku Town General Assembly said the individuals came with the intention of removing and replacing the equipment, a move the community firmly resisted.
“Some yet-to-be-identified individuals stormed the hospital… with the clear intention of removing and replacing critical medical equipment with inferior ones,” the community stated.
According to the petition, residents confronted the individuals, who reportedly justified their actions as routine.
“They claimed this is ‘the traditional practice in government facilities across the state,’” the community said, rejecting the explanation outright.
The President General of the community, Josephat Ajuluchukwu Okolonta, maintained that no such directive had been communicated by the state government or relevant authorities.
“No such practice was communicated to us, and we have not received any directive from your office or the Ministry of Health authorizing this,” the petition read.
Community leaders stressed that their resistance was driven by a desire to protect public assets, especially after residents had invested personal resources to restore the facility ahead of its commissioning.
“This is happening after our community… funded the replacement of previously vandalised equipment to make the hospital functional,” they noted.
Describing the incident as a deliberate act of sabotage, the community warned against any attempt to undermine ongoing healthcare improvements in the area.
“We consider this an act of sabotage and theft of public assets carried out under the guise of official duty,” the statement added.
The community has now called on Governor Mbah to intervene by ordering an immediate investigation and deploying security to safeguard the facility.
“We humbly pray Your Excellency to direct the Police and DSS to immediately investigate, identify and arrest those involved and their sponsors,” the leaders urged.
They also demanded clear guidelines to prevent unauthorized removal of equipment.
“Order urgent security deployment to protect the facility and ensure that no equipment is moved without written approval from the Ministry of Health and concurrence of the Ogbaku Town General Assembly,” the petition stated.
Reaffirming their support for the state government, the community insisted it would continue to defend the facility against any perceived threat.
“We remain grateful for Your Excellency’s intervention in our health sector and committed to safeguarding this facility,” the statement concluded.
