More than a 12 months after Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo pledged ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, for the development of a paediatric complicated, a involved citizen has urged him to fulfil the promise.
DAILY POST recollects that Okpebholo made the pledge on August 26, 2025, following an attraction by the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, for the development of a contemporary paediatric centre.
While approving the grant, the governor vowed that his administration wouldn’t play politics with the well being of youngsters, describing the proposed centre as a legacy challenge for Edo State and Nigeria.
Worried by the delay and final Thursday’s petroleum tanker explosion at Oluku Market alongside the Benin-Lagos Expressway, an Edo State resident, Mrs Grace Amayo, has urged the governor to fulfil his promise by commencing development of the centre.
Amayo, who spoke to journalists in Benin City on the weekend, mentioned the incident had underscored the necessity for improved medical infrastructure.
She urged Okpebholo to redeem his pledge, noting that the challenge was important to the way forward for healthcare within the area.
According to her, the specialised facility would considerably enhance paediatric care and supply an appropriate therapeutic atmosphere for susceptible youngsters.
“I want to appeal to the governor to see the project through to completion. The pledge should not remain a mere statement; it should become a completed legacy project that will serve generations of children.
“Children deserve more than promises, and UBTH deserves the infrastructure required to serve them effectively. Prof. Ize-Iyamu has shown that she is ready to work for the people. Her resourcefulness and commitment should be supported by sustained government investment.
“The restored Burns and Plastic Surgery Ward demonstrates what purposeful leadership can achieve, while the proposed Paediatric Complex offers an opportunity to build something even more enduring.
“For years, the burns ward, originally built by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), had languished in neglect. A facility meant to treat burn victims had itself become a symbol of abandonment.
“Without waiting for another committee or appeal, Prof. Ize-Iyamu directed that the ward be remodelled and restored to a standard befitting a modern Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit. The CMD’s vision for the facility was immediately turned into reality.
“Then came the Oluku fuel tanker tragedy on Thursday. The tanker explosion along the Benin-Lagos Highway brought the reality of mass casualties and severe burns into sharp focus. As victims were evacuated to UBTH, the restored ward became more than a renovated facility; it became a lifeline,” she mentioned.
Amayo maintained that investing in sturdy medical infrastructure was important to sustainable growth and defending the well-being of residents throughout Edo State.
DAILY POST stories that Okpebholo, accompanied by Senator Adams Oshiomhole and different authorities officers, visited UBTH on Friday, October 16, 2026, to see survivors of the tanker explosion receiving remedy.
During the go to, the Chief Medical Director briefed the delegation on the sufferers’ circumstances and restoration, together with these among the many first 11 victims admitted after the incident.
