***As Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan Warns of Relocation
A project meant to bring relief to some of society’s most vulnerable people now stands at risk of leaving the district it was designed for, as political rivalry overshadows a much-needed healthcare initiative.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, has warned that the proposed mental health facility in Adavi could be moved to Kogi East or Kogi West if the people of Kogi Central do not want it.
The senator voiced displeasure over what she described as attempts to frustrate the project through sponsored criticism and a petition sent to the relevant ministry. According to her, the petition claimed that the people of Kogi Central had rejected the facility and did not want it established anywhere in the district.
“I worked hard to get this project into the federal budget,” the senator said, making clear that she sees the backlash as a political attack on a project secured through months of effort.
Insisting that healthcare must never be held hostage to political differences, she stressed that the facility’s value extends well beyond any single district.
“Don’t worry, the facility shall be moved to Kogi East or West where it would serve the entire state as it’s greatly needed to treat clinically psychotic patients suffering depression, trauma, schizophrenia, postpartum depression, drug and alcohol addiction etc.,” she stated.
Mental health services remain scarce across much of Nigeria, where families often struggle to find specialist care for relatives battling severe psychiatric conditions. For many in Kogi State, treatment means travelling long distances, or going without it entirely.
A dedicated facility in Adavi would have offered a rare local option for patients suffering depression, trauma, schizophrenia, postpartum depression, and drug and alcohol addiction.
Stakeholders say the controversy exposes a troubling pattern in which good intentions are treated with suspicion simply because of who delivered them.
When projects become casualties of rivalry, they argue, the ones who pay the price are not politicians but ordinary people in need of care.
The senator’s warning carries a pointed message: if Kogi Central turns its back on the project, other parts of the state stand ready to benefit.
For residents of Adavi and the wider district, that means a facility secured for them could be lost to neighbours, along with the jobs, services, and relief it would have brought.
Observers note that it remains unclear who sponsored the criticism or authored the petition, and that the claims in the petition have not been independently verified.
Calls are growing for community leaders, traditional institutions, and health advocates to speak openly on whether Kogi Central truly rejects the facility, rather than allowing a single petition to speak for an entire district.
As the debate continues, the central question is simple: will Kogi Central choose a lifeline for its people, or let rivalry decide for them?