Community land donation for new Ogun health centre

The Igbokorfi Community in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State has donated two plots of land for the construction of a health centre following a report by Saturday PUNCH.

The Chairman of Yewa North Local Government, Olusola Akinbode, who confirmed the donation, said the report titled ‘Pregnant Ogun women flee to Benin Republic as healthcare crumbles’ prompted the community to provide the land.

In the report published on May 24, 2025, Saturday PUNCH chronicled the deaths and suffering of members of the community as a result of the lack of a healthcare facility.

Akinbode said local government officials and engineers had inspected the location, promising that work would soon begin.

“We have gone there to take measurements of the land. It was the community that suggested the location to us; they released the land to us and even wrote a letter to that effect. Work will begin soon. We have concluded the bill of quantity and other planning as regards the building of the health centre. Our team, led by the Vice Chairman, has visited the land with our engineers, and we’re ready to commence work,” he said.

Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, an Igbokorfi community leader, Idowu Bamgbose, urged the local government to fast-track the construction of the health centre.

“We have given the local government two plots of land to help facilitate their promise to build us a health centre. The entire community has willingly done this wholeheartedly. We now urge them to start the project in earnest, and we pray that the entire work goes smoothly,” he said.

Another resident, Kunle Garb, said the project would end the humiliation of community members transiting to neighbouring Benin Republic for medical treatment.

He said the land had already been cleared in preparation for the project.

“We need this project done soonest because we have lost many of our women due to the lack of a functioning health centre. We have endured untrained quacks operating in the community for too long. When the centre is built, it will reduce the mortality rate and save us from having to go to Benin Republic for treatment at a more expensive cost.”