NEDC Procures ₦1.4bn Equipment To Dredge Alau Dam

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) said it has procured two dredging equipment worth ₦1.420 billion to dredge the Alau Dam in Borno State, and other waterways.

NEDC’s Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali disclosed this on Monday during the inspection of the dredging equipment parked at the premises of the commission’s central store in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Alkali said the reason for procuring the equipment is to prevent future flooding that can lead to loss of lives and destruction of properties as experienced in Maiduguri and Jere local government areas of the state last September.

He stressed the need to take swift and preventive measures against unforeseen disasters, “Everyone knew what happened with Alau Dam, and we need this kind of equipment to do the dredging of the Dam”.

The NEDC boss revealed that the sum of N500 million was released for the upgrade of the Central Store Pharmaceutical Unit to a world-class standard, describing the facility as one its kind within the North-East region.

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He further stated that the Commission is taking deliberate steps to support states within the region towards providing quality healthcare services to residents.

“The Central Store Pharmaceutical Unit is complete, and it’s one of its kind in the North East region. As at last count without factoring in inflation, we have expended about half a billion.

“We have a master plan, which has eleven pillars, and one of the plans is to have a healthy citizenry and most of these healthcare interventions are part of our master plan,” Alkali said.

In his remarks, Borno State Commissioner for Health and Human Resources, Prof Baba Malum Gana lauded the NEDC for upgrading the medical store in Borno State to pharma grade facility.

“This means they can store any drug, including vaccines, in a secure and temperature-controlled environment. The facility also has extra security features like CCTV and a cooling system, as well as 24/7 solar power generated by over 370 solar panels.

“The introduction of digital technology allows for real-time monitoring of drug movements, which will help reduce pilferage and ensure the quality of drugs. The drugs are sourced from multinational companies, which guarantees their authenticity,” the commissioner said.

LEADERSHIP reports that the NEDC management team also inspected the dental and eye hospitals undergoing rehabilitation which will be equipped with modern equipment.

Management also inspected DSS Quarters that is being constructed by the Commission for the staff of the security agency alongside several projects the NEDC is executing in Maiduguri.