Abia Govt Denies World Bank PHC Funding Claims

The Abia State Government has strongly refuted claims by the former Abia state commissioner for finance, Mr. Obinna Oriaku , regarding the funding of the ongoing primary healthcare upgrades in the state, labeling his statements as misinformation.

In a statement released on Friday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ukoha Njoku, the government clarified that the ongoing upgrading and retrofitting of 200 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state are being financed entirely by the Abia State Government under its Project Ekwueme initiative, with no financial support from the World Bank.

Mr. Oriaku, a former government official, had allegedly claimed that the project was being funded by the World Bank, a statement the government insists is false.

However, in a separate development, Ukoha disclosed that Abia State has been selected as one of 27 states benefiting from the World Bank Impact Project, which will fund the upgrading of 67 additional PHCs in the state.

This project, distinct from Project Ekwueme, is being funded 100% by the World Bank.

The government emphasized that Project Ekwueme and the World Bank Impact Project are entirely different initiatives, urging the public to disregard any misinformation suggesting otherwise.

Mr. Ukoha also criticized the previous administration, under which Mr. Oriaku served, for leaving over 900 PHCs across the state in ruins.

He noted that the list of the 200 PHCs upgraded under Project Ekwueme had already been published, with the list of the 67 PHCs under the World Bank Impact Project to be released much later .

He further called on Abians to remain vigilant against falsehoods and propaganda aimed at distorting the achievements of the current administration in revamping the state’s healthcare sector.

Abia Govt Denies World Bank PHC Funding Claims is first published on The Whistler Newspaper