The concessionaire of the Bayelsa Diagnostic Centre (BDC), Trigen-Craton Ltd, has exonerated former Governor Seriake Dickson of allegations by a group that he established the world-class medical facility with the intent to destroy it at the end of his administration.
The Operations Manager of Trigen-Craton Ltd, Malcolm Okiebai said in a statement on Tuesday that there was no iota of truth in the allegations.
Okiebai said all the equipment procured by the State Government under the administration of Dickson was in a good and safe condition.
He called on the public to discountenance the claim that equipment worth billions of Naira was taken away from the centre.
At its inception in 2016, Concessionaire was given the mandate to maintain world-class equipment and provide international skilled personnel for the Centre with the task of managing it.
Okiebai recalled that the terms of the concession were that 60 per cent of the profit, was meant for the firm once the centre became profitable to provide effective running of the outfit.
He said: “Thirty per cent (30%) would go to the Bayelsa State government and ten per cent (10%) in a joint account for routine maintenance and repairs.
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“We wish to state for emphasis that all equipment purchased by the state government is safe and intact; that all the equipment purchased was fully paid for even before the commissioning and commencement of operations and is still top class equipment several years after their purchase
“In fact, most of the equipment purchased were the first of its kind in Nigeria at the time. We understand the public interest that the centre be reopened in Bayelsa and across the country as a reputable diagnostic center with partners abroad. We state that as soon as the outstanding issues are sorted out, we hope to resume operations.
“Lastly, we call on general public to ignore the falsehood being peddled by mischievous and faceless characters about the diagnostic center.”
The firm’s operational manager explained that the Centre was shut down because it could not get subventions from the state government to sustain the services to the public
He stressed that the initial arrangement between the government and the firm ran into hitches as the centre could not generate enough funds to cover the huge cost of operations.
END.