Tension is rising in Uburu, Ebonyi State, as the host community of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH) has petitioned the hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor Agwu Uzoma, demanding full disclosure of how over ₦7.5 billion in budgetary allocations was spent between 2023 and 2025.
In a petition signed by the community’s lawyer, Lucky Ezealor, and addressed to the CMD, the community invoked provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, requesting detailed records of budgetary allocations, project approvals, implementation details, and the physical locations of all projects executed during the period.
The petition accused the hospital’s management of poor transparency in project execution and alleged that some projects were reportedly sited outside Uburu, the institution’s host community.
According to the document, the community is seeking “full and detailed information, records, and documents” relating to projects such as: "Construction/Provision of Health Centres – ₦100m (2023), ₦120m (2024),
Renovation of Hospital Complex – ₦100m (2023), ₦120m (2024), ₦200m (2025), Intern Hostels – ₦1.45bn, Oxygen Plants – ₦291.5m, Molecular Laboratory (Phase I) – ₦364.3m, Newborn Intensive Care Complex – ₦728.7m, CT Simulator – ₦364.3m, Solar Energy Installation – ₦220m, Purchase of Land for Expansion – ₦290m, and Community Outreach Programmes across five states – over ₦1.1bn.
The community further demanded the names of contractors, contract sums, level of completion, and disbursements to date.
Citing Sections 1(1), 2(3), 4, and 7(5) of the FOI Act, the petition reminded the hospital that it was legally bound to release the requested information within seven days, warning that failure to comply would lead to a court action under Section 20 of the Act.
“Any willful refusal, neglect, or failure to comply would constitute a violation of the Act, actionable in the Federal High Court,” the petition warned.
However, the hospital management, through its Public Relations Officer, Agwu Nwogo, downplayed the allegations, saying DUFUTH is “no stranger to public scrutiny” and operates within a framework of accountability under multiple federal oversight bodies.
The management described the FOI request as legitimate but politically motivated, hinting at possible links between the petition and the recent siting of the new DUFUTH College of Health Technology in a neighbouring community — a decision that has reportedly angered Uburu residents.
“While the Freedom of Information Act is a tool for transparency, it appears in this instance to have been wielded as a sword to ridicule and disgrace,” the hospital said.
It further insisted that all tenders and contracts were openly advertised and executed in compliance with Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) standards, stressing that under the current CMD, transparency remains DUFUTH’s guiding principle.
As the seven-day ultimatum ticks, observers say the standoff between the Uburu host community and the DUFUTH management could escalate into a legal and political battle testing the boundaries between community interest and institutional accountability.
