The Agwai Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Kuje Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is on the brink of total collapse, sparking outrage among residents who have accused relevant authorities of abandoning the facility for years.
According to findings by TrackerNG, the health centre built over 20 years ago through selfless community efforts was meant to serve more than 5,000 residents across three communities. However, the facility has suffered severe deterioration over the past seven years, leaving it completely unfit for healthcare delivery.
A visit to the centre reveals a disturbing picture: a blown-off roof, removed asbestos sheets, cracked walls, leaking structures, and a general state of decay that poses serious risks to both patients and health workers. Shockingly, for over two decades of operation, the PHC has functioned with just one staff member and a single bed fitted with a worn-out mattress.
Residents lament that due to the collapse of the facility, patients including pregnant women and children are forced to travel approximately 60 kilometres to access basic medical care in Kuje town. This hardship, community members say, has resulted in preventable maternal and child deaths, alongside untold suffering.
An angry Kuje resident, speaking on the condition of anonymity, called out key government officials over what they described as criminal neglect. Those mentioned include the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the FCT Permanent Secretary Muyi Aina, FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe, and the Kuje Area Council lawmakers Hon. Ajiya Abdulrahman and Hon. Abdullahi Suleiman Sabo.
According to residents, several appeals and complaints submitted to the Kuje Area Council and relevant health authorities have yielded no response.
“This centre was built by the community to save lives, but today it has become a death trap. We have lost children and mothers to issues that could have been treated here if the government had done its job,” a community member told TrackerNG.
Residents are now calling for urgent intervention to avert further disasters. They are demanding the immediate overhaul and rehabilitation of the facility, recruitment of qualified medical personnel, provision of essential equipment such as beds and drugs, and sustained funding with proper oversight to ensure maintenance.
As pressure mounts, the continued silence of authorities raises serious questions about healthcare governance and accountability in rural communities within the nation’s capital.
Chronicles Reporters will continue to monitor developments.