Despite receiving N450.4 billion allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in 2024, second only to Lagos state, which received N531.1 billion; sums which a report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) described as a 43% surge, some locals in Delta State are crying out over absence of health care facilities which has led a high rate of maternal mortality and other deaths.
In Warri North Local Government Area, residents of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) have blamed the incessant deaths of pregnant women and children in the locality on the abandoned cottage hospital in the community.
This was contained in an open letter signed by the President of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Bloc Communities, Mr. Paul Toruwei, addressed to the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Thursday.
The open letter noted that the community’s cottage hospital which was inaugurated and fully equipped at the cost of ₦596m through a partnership between Chevron Nigeria Limited and the Egbema-Gbaramatu Community Development Foundation (EGCDF) under the Global Memorandum of Understanding, “was formally handed over to the Delta State Government in 2018 for management and operation.”
“Sadly, the hospital has remained non-functional due to inadequate staffing, lack of essential equipment, and total government neglect,” the letter stated.
The letter added, “The result has been devastating: community members continue to suffer from treatable illnesses, delayed diagnoses, and needless deaths daily.
“There are no resident doctors, nurses, or technical staff—no presence of the medical professionals needed to provide even the most basic healthcare services.”
It continued, “We have lost hundreds of souls—including children and pregnant women—as a direct result of this hospital not functioning.
“Conditions that should have been easily treated have become fatal due to the absence of prompt medical attention.
“The community mourns, not because help is impossible, but because it has been willfully withheld.
“Community leaders have repeatedly raised concerns over these operational failures and have called on the state government to fulfill its obligations by providing a fully functional healthcare facility with qualified personnel and modern equipment.
“The hospital, which should be a pillar of life-saving services, has instead become a monument of despair and neglect”.
The letter, however, maintained that “this failure is particularly unacceptable when viewed against the immense contributions of the Polobubo (Tsekelewu) community to the economic strength of Delta State and the nation at large”.
It recalled that “the community plays host to numerous major oil and gas operations including Chevron Nigeria Limited in Opuekeba, Olero Fields, and offshore flow stations; NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture, operators of the Opuama Flow Station (OML 40); Tsekelewu/Polobubo Marginal Field with about five oil wells to be operated by Sahara Energy Limited; Tsekelewu/Polobubo Marginal Field – OML 130 Concession set to be operated by Conoil Nigeria Limited, among others.”
The letter then reminded Oborevwori of the need to rehabilitate the abandoned cottage hospital and to ensure “that Polobubo is not a forgotten outpost”.
“It is one of Delta State’s most vital economic assets. Its people deserve more than neglect; they deserve life, dignity, and access to basic healthcare”, the community emphasized.
The letter partly reads, “We call on the Delta State Government to urgently revive the Polobubo Cottage Hospital by deploying qualified medical professionals — doctors, nurses, technicians, and support staff; Restoring and upgrading medical equipment and diagnostic tools; Ensuring consistent medical supplies and funding for operational sustainability.
“The Polobubo (Tsekelewu) community has kept its part of the social contract — supporting the economy, enabling oil production, and accepting corporate presence. It is time for the government to honor its responsibility to protect and care for the people.
“Let the Polobubo Cottage Hospital live up to its purpose. Let it save lives, not be the reason lives are lost.”
