North East Development Commission (NEDC) said that it procured two dredging equipment worth N1.420 billion to dredge the Alau Dam and other waterways.
Speaking during the inspection of the dredging equipment parked at the premises of its central store in Maiduguri yesterday, the managing director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, said the aim of the procurement is to prevent future flooding. Flooding claimed lives and destroyed properties in Maiduguri and Jere local government areas last September.
Alkali said swift preventive measures are needed against unforeseen disasters. He said, “Everyone knew what happened with Alau Dam, and we need this kind of equipment to do the dredging of the Dam.”
He said N500 million was released to upgrade the central store pharmaceutical unit to a world-class standard, adding that the facility is the first of its kind within the Northeast region.
He 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 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 inspected the dental and eye hospitals undergoing rehabilitation, which will be equipped with modern equipment, as well as DSS quarters being constructed by the commission for the staff of the security agency alongside several projects the NEDC is executing in Maiduguri.
