Wike To Complete Abandoned Utako Hospital, Upgrade 14 Others

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Executive Council has approved the immediate renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of all 14 general hospitals alongside the resumption of work on the abandoned Utako General Hospital.

The decisions were taken at the 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Council, presided over by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and attended by the Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud.

The council also approved the construction of a new divisional police station at the Wasa Informal Sector ahead of the planned relocation of mechanics and artisans from Apo.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Chidi Amadi, said the council considered 20 memoranda submitted by various secretariats, departments and agencies.

He said the decisions were part of the administration’s efforts to improve infrastructure and public services across the nation’s capital.

Giving details of the health sector resolutions, the mandate secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the council approved the immediate commencement of renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of the 14 general hospitals.

She said the exercise would include the procurement of new medical equipment and diagnostic facilities, including X-ray machines, as well as the upgrading of hospital theatres.

Fasawe also disclosed that Wike had directed the immediate resumption of work on the Utako General Hospital, which has remained abandoned for years.

According to her, the project would involve completing the construction, equipping the hospital and providing the necessary medical personnel to make the facility operational.

She said the intervention was aimed at improving access to quality, affordable and accessible healthcare for residents of the FCT.

Fasawe added that the administration had continued to meet its financial obligations to Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and other health insurance providers through the payment of premiums and capitation.

The council also approved the digitalisation of the FCT High Court, covering about 67 courtrooms across its judicial divisions.

The general counsel, Salman Dako, said the project would introduce electronic court recording and case-management systems to replace manual recording, handwritten documentation and physical filing of cases.

He said implementation would commence immediately, with improvements expected to become noticeable within two weeks.

In the education sector, the council approved two contracts for the provision of examination materials for pupils and students in primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools across the FCT.

The mandate secretary for Education, Dr Danlami Hayyo, said the approval would support the smooth conduct of examinations in public schools.

He said it was also part of the administration’s broader intervention in public education, which includes the renovation and rehabilitation of schools, improvement of classroom facilities and provision of instructional materials.

The Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) also secured approval for a N5.703 billion contract for the construction of a 33KVA power supply line from Dawaki to Tukulo and surrounding communities in Bwari Area Council.

The STDD coordinator, Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, said the contract was awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited and would be completed within eight months.

The council further ratified two completed and commissioned road projects in the satellite towns.

They include the Gaba-Tukulo Road and two-span river bridge in Bwari Area Council, awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited for N8.219 billion, inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT, and the rehabilitation of Paikon Kore-Ibuwa Road in Gwagwalada Area Council, awarded to the same company for N8.890 billion, inclusive of VAT.

Zulkiflu said both projects had a 12-month completion period and had already been completed and commissioned.

The Department of Land Administration secured approval for three memoranda covering the procurement of utility vehicles and an integrated ICT infrastructure for its operations.

The director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said the ICT upgrade would include computers, workstations, scanners, network switches, fibre-optic connections, data-centre servers, monitoring systems and cooling facilities.

The council also ratified the award of a contract for the printing of customised revenue receipt booklets with enhanced security features to curb fraud and alterations in land revenue collection.

The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company will handle the printing of the receipts.

Meanwhile, the director of the FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, said the council approved the construction of a new divisional police station at the Wasa Informal Sector.

He said the facility, which has a six-month delivery period, would strengthen security in the area ahead of the planned relocation of Apo mechanics and artisans.

Gwary said the project followed a directive from Wike for adequate security infrastructure to be provided at the Wasa site and surrounding communities.

He added that the project formed part of the FCT Administration’s wider plan to construct two divisional police stations in each of the six area councils.

According to him, two stations at Ushafa and Saburi had already been completed, furnished and handed over, with each facility having a furnished six-man staff quarters.

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) also secured approval for six memoranda, covering maintenance works in waterways and other areas affected by environmental challenges.

The FCT Water Board, meanwhile, received approval for the supply of high-test hypochlorite (HTH), a powdered chlorine used in water treatment.

The acting general manager of the Water Board, Chinyere Elechi, said the chemical was necessary for disinfecting water and eliminating pathogenic microorganisms before distribution.

She said effective treatment of drinking water was essential to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery.

The council also approved the renewal of insurance for facilities associated with the Lower Usman Dam Treatment Plant.