The Eburu of Iba, Oba (Prof.) Adekunle Adeogun Okunoye, Adedeji 11, has raised the alarm over the absence of a qualified medical doctor in Iba, Osun State, saying residents are at risk because the town’s hospital and primary health centre lack adequate medical personnel.
The monarch appealed to the government to give rural communities greater attention, stressing that residents of small towns deserve access to basic healthcare and other amenities enjoyed by people in urban centres.
Okunoye, who spoke in an interview with PrimeStar News Online, said Iba had a hospital and a primary health centre but no qualified medical doctor.
“I have said it many times in several places: no single qualified medical doctor in my town. We just die,” he said.
He painted a grim picture of the situation, adding that residents could struggle to receive prompt medical attention when they suddenly fell ill.
Asked whether the community had qualified nurses, the monarch said he believed there were one or two.
Beyond healthcare, Okunoye called for the rehabilitation of roads linking Iba to neighbouring communities. He said six roads led to the community and argued that fixing them would cost less than constructing a flyover.
He, however, clarified that he was not demanding that all six roads be rehabilitated at once, suggesting that the government could begin with one major road.
“The lives of my people matter. Give us the life of urban people: the kind of amenities, schools, roads, hospitals in the urban areas, and what is required in my community,” he said.
The monarch urged the government to ensure that rural communities received fair and equitable consideration in development programmes, noting that they were part of the same society as urban centres.
His appeal highlights the development challenges facing rural communities, particularly access to healthcare, roads and other essential public services.
