The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, has donated N500,000 to the Oke-Ata Area Community Development Committee (CDC) to kick-start the construction of a primary healthcare centre in the community.

Obasanjo-Bello made the donation on Saturday when she visited the Oke-Ata Area CDC in Abeokuta North Local Government Area to seek the support of residents ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

The donation followed an appeal by the CDC Chairman, Hon. Kareem Ademuyiwa, for intervention in the construction of a befitting primary healthcare centre for the area, which comprises nearly 60 Community Development Associations (CDAs).

Ademuyiwa said the absence of a healthcare facility was one of the major challenges confronting the communities, noting that residents currently have no primary healthcare centre, security post or secondary school within the area.

He said land had been donated to the community for the construction of the proposed health centre for a long time, but lack the required support and the financial capacity to execute the project had stalled its development.

The CDC chairman also commended Obasanjo-Bello for donating a transformer to one of the communities under the Oke-Ata Area CDC, describing the gesture as a demonstration of her commitment to addressing the infrastructure needs of the people.

He said the community was prepared to bear the cost of transporting the transformer to its destination and appealed to the senator to ensure its delivery.

Responding to the community's request for the health centre, Obasanjo-Bello, a former Commissioner for Health in Ogun State, acknowledged the importance of primary healthcare facilities to the development and wellbeing of communities.

She recalled her previous contributions to healthcare development during her first stint in the Senate, particularly while serving as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, when she said she facilitated the provision of several health centres.

The senator expressed concern over what she described as the neglect of communities across the state, saying residents had continued to complain about poor roads and inadequate infrastructure.

Obasanjo-Bello pledged to pursue the completion of the proposed Oke-Ata health centre if elected to the Senate, while acknowledging that she could not be certain which committee she would serve if she returned to the National Assembly.

She, however, said her membership of the PDP would not prevent her from advocating healthcare projects for Ogun communities, promising to work with the relevant authorities if her party eventually takes control of the state.

“I am in the PDP, but the PDP is not in control of the state,” she said, while promising to do her best, in collaboration with whoever emerges as Commissioner for Health, to facilitate healthcare projects across the state should the party take over government.

As an immediate contribution towards the project, the senator presented N500,000 to the CDC to commence preliminary activities, including documentation and, potentially, the foundation of the proposed health centre.

The community's Chief Imam, Imam Mahmud Edunjobi, who prayed for the success of the forthcoming election, also supported the proposed healthcare project and stressed the importance of providing accessible medical services for residents.

Representatives of the youths and women in the community equally appealed for the establishment of the health centre, describing it as one of the most pressing needs of the area.

The senator further reiterated her commitment to ensuring that the donated transformer gets to the benefiting community, particularly after the CDC indicated its willingness to finance its transportation.