Pakiotan Hospital: Oyo Govt’s Reaction Unnecessary, Employment Approval Nears Completion — Hon. Ademola Olawale

Hon. Ademola Olawale, a former local government chairman and Director of the Sunday Dare Group, SDG, has described the Oyo State Government’s reaction to reports on the non-utilisation of the 80-bed hospital in Pakiotan, Ogbomoso, as unnecessary and uncalled for.

He said it is indeed true that former Minister Dare facilitated the Federal Government project, but said the state government’s “high-octane press statement denial” amounted to an overreaction, insisting that the facts surrounding the facility were already known.

He confirmed approvals for the employment of medical personnel for the hospital were at the final stage, indicating that steps were being taken towards commencing operations at the facility.

“That was an unnecessary, over reaction by Oyo State Government. The state government needs to stop politicizing what it should not. It’s high octane press statement denial is an overreaction and uncalled for. The facts about the health centre are well known,”

He added, “In fact, approvals for employment of medical staff is at its final stage.”

The development is supported by a letter, obtained by OYOINSIGHT.COM dated August 21, 2026, from the University College Hospital, Ibadan, to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, seeking a waiver to employ personnel for four newly acquired hospitals.

In the letter, UCH said it had been “entrusted with the management and operational responsibilities” of four facilities, including the 80-bed Multipurpose Hospital, Paki-Otan, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

The hospital was listed alongside a 100-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Abonde, Ona Ara, a 40-bed hospital in Ago-Are, Oyo State, and a 20-bed primary healthcare facility in Otan-Ile, Osun State.

It added that the facilities required adequate and appropriately skilled personnel for effective operationalisation, noting that recruitment would “facilitate the commencement of clinical services” and improve access to healthcare in the host communities.

The teaching hospital consequently requested approval from the Federal Ministry of Health for a waiver to employ the required personnel, explaining that its existing manpower was inadequate and that deploying current staff to the newly acquired facilities would further strain its workforce.

The August letter therefore shows that, as of that date, the Pakiotan facility was part of an ongoing process involving UCH’s management and plans for staffing and commencement of clinical services, rather than simply being left without steps towards operationalisation.

The Pakiotan hospital was completed and inaugurated on May 27, 2023, as a Federal Government project facilitated by Dare and subsequently placed under the Federal Ministry of Health through UCH, Ibadan.

This reaction comes after the Oyo State Government said it was not responsible for the non-utilisation of the facility, maintaining that the hospital was neither built nor handed over to the state for operation.

While the state government said it could not be held responsible for the facility’s staffing, management or commissioning, Ademola Olawale maintained that its response was an unnecessary politicisation of an issue for which, according to him, the facts were already established.