Patients receiving treatment at Jibu Hospital in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, the home local government of Governor Agbu Kefas, have been left to endure deplorable conditions, with photographs obtained by SaharaReporters showing patients lying on mats inside the health facility.
The photographs also show several parts of the hospital in a dilapidated condition, raising concerns about the state of primary healthcare infrastructure in the state and government spending priorities.
One of the photographs shows a woman lying on a mat while receiving treatment at the facility instead of being accommodated on a hospital bed.
The condition of the hospital is particularly concerning because Wukari is Governor Kefas’ local government area, while his administration has recently approved a reported ₦80 billion for the construction of a flyover in the area.
The situation has therefore raised questions about the prioritisation of healthcare funding in the state, particularly amid concerns over the utilisation of funds allocated for capital development in the primary healthcare sector.
A review of Taraba State budget performance documents by SaharaReporters showed that ₦2.6 billion was budgeted for capital expenditure by the Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) in 2026.
However, as of the half-year period of 2026, none of the ₦2.6 billion capital allocation had been spent, according to the budget performance documents reviewed by SaharaReporters.
The situation was also poor in the preceding year.
In 2025, the Taraba State Government budgeted ₦2.8 billion for capital expenditure by the PHCDA, but the agency spent only about ₦139 million throughout the year, according to the budget performance records.
This means that only a small fraction of the capital allocation for primary healthcare was utilised in 2025, while no expenditure had been recorded from the 2026 allocation as of the period covered by the budget performance report.
The condition of Jibu Hospital in Wukari has now raised fresh concerns about the state of healthcare infrastructure in the governor’s home local government.
Residents who spoke to SaharaReporters said the condition of the facility is difficult to reconcile with the government’s decision to commit such a huge amount of money to a flyover project in the same local government area.
One source said, “Jibu Hospital is in Wukari, the governor’s own local government. Look at the situation of the hospital. Patients are sleeping on mats and the whole place is dilapidated. Yet the government is talking about spending ₦80 billion on a flyover in the same Wukari.”
Another source raised concerns about the administration’s approach to public contracting.
The source said, “You know that is the kind of contract that generates so much money for campaign.”
The broader concern, however, is supported by the official budget performance figures, which show low utilisation of funds earmarked for primary healthcare capital expenditure.
The situation has prompted questions about whether the state government is adequately prioritising basic healthcare needs, particularly in communities where existing facilities require urgent attention.
Primary healthcare facilities are expected to provide essential medical services, particularly to residents in rural and underserved communities. But the photographs obtained by SaharaReporters show patients at Jibu Hospital receiving treatment in conditions that raise concerns about the adequacy of the facility.
The woman photographed receiving treatment on a mat is one of the clearest examples of the situation at the hospital.
Rather than being treated on a standard hospital bed, she was photographed lying on a mat on the floor while receiving medical care.
The wider condition of the facility, as captured in the photographs, also shows deteriorating infrastructure and raises questions about the availability of adequate beds, equipment and other essential facilities for patients and medical personnel.
While road infrastructure and other capital projects remain important, the condition of Jibu Hospital highlights the need for adequate investment in existing healthcare facilities, including functioning buildings, beds, equipment, drugs and other essential services.