FCT Approves Upgrade of 14 General Hospitals, Resumption of Utako Hospital Project

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approved the immediate renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of all 14 general hospitals in the territory, while work is set to resume on the long-abandoned Utako General Hospital.

The decisions were reached at the 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Council, chaired by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and attended by the Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud.

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

He said the decisions were aimed at supporting infrastructure development and improving public services across the nation’s capital.

On the health sector, the Mandate Secretary of the Health Secretariat and Environmental Services, Adedolapo Fasawe, said the council approved immediate interventions across all 14 general hospitals in the FCT.

The work will include renovation and rehabilitation of the facilities, procurement of new medical equipment, installation of X-ray machines and other diagnostic materials, as well as upgrades to hospital theatres.

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

She said the project would involve the construction, equipping and staffing of the hospital to enable it to provide healthcare services to residents.

The health intervention, according to her, is intended to improve access to quality and affordable medical services across the territory.

She added that the FCT Administration had continued to meet its financial obligations to health insurance providers and Health Maintenance Organisations through the payment of premiums and capitation.

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

The General Counsel, Salman Dako, said the project would introduce electronic court recording and case-management systems to replace manual recording and physical case files.

He said the digital system was expected to address problems associated with handwritten records and manual documentation, with implementation beginning immediately and initial improvements expected within two weeks.

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

The Mandate Secretary for Education, Danlami Hayyo, said the approval formed part of the administration’s efforts to improve public schools through renovation, rehabilitation, better classroom facilities and the provision of instructional materials.

Hayyo said improvements in public school infrastructure had encouraged some parents to move their children from private schools to government schools.

He added that the examination materials would help ensure that examinations were conducted smoothly across public schools in the territory.

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

The STDD Coordinator, Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, said CGC Nigeria Limited was awarded the contract and would complete the project within eight months.

The council also ratified two road projects that had already been completed and commissioned in the satellite towns.

One is the Gaba-Tukulo Road and two-span river bridge in Bwari Area Council, constructed by Setraco Nigeria Limited at a cost of N8.219 billion, including 7.5 per cent VAT.

The second is the rehabilitation of the Paikon Kore-Ibuwa Road in Gwagwalada Area Council, also awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited at N8.890 billion, including 7.5 per cent VAT.

Zulkiflu said both projects were initially scheduled for completion within 12 months but had already been completed and commissioned.

The Department of Land Administration also secured approval for three memoranda aimed at improving its operations and strengthening revenue collection.

The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said the council approved the procurement of utility vehicles as well as integrated ICT infrastructure and accessories for the department.

The technology component will include desktop computers, workstations, display screens, scanners, network switches, fibre-optic connections, data-centre servers, monitoring systems and cooling equipment.

The council further ratified the award of a contract for the production of customised revenue receipt booklets for the department.

Nwankwoeze said the redesigned receipts would include additional security features to make alterations and fraudulent practices more difficult within the land revenue collection system.

The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, which is responsible for producing Nigeria’s currency, will print the new revenue receipts.

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) also secured approval for six memoranda, comprising five ratifications and one new approval.

The Overseeing Coordinator of AMMC, Mary Amina Ahmadu, said the approvals would support maintenance operations across the capital, particularly in waterways and other locations affected by environmental problems.

She said indiscriminate waste disposal had contributed to blocked waterways and flooding in some parts of the FCT, making regular maintenance and proper environmental management necessary.

The FCT Water Board secured approval for two memoranda, including the supply of powdered chlorine, also known as high-test hypochlorite (HTH), for water treatment.

The Acting General Manager of the Water Board, Chinyere Elechi, said the chemical was required to disinfect water and remove harmful microorganisms before it was supplied to consumers.

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

The second memorandum approved for the Water Board involved the renewal of insurance cover for facilities connected to the Lower Usman Dam Treatment Plant.

In the security sector, the council approved the construction of a new divisional police station at the Wasa Informal Sector ahead of the planned relocation of Apo mechanics and artisans to the area.

The Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, said the project was approved at Tuesday’s council meeting and would be completed within six months.

He said the police station followed a directive by Wike to provide adequate security for Wasa and surrounding communities as economic activities expand in the area.

Gwary added that the project formed part of the administration’s wider plan to improve policing in rural and developing communities across the FCT.

According to him, the FCT Administration plans to construct two divisional police stations in each of the territory’s six area councils.

He disclosed that the stations at Ushafa and Saburi had already been completed, furnished and handed over, with each facility also provided with furnished accommodation for six police personnel.

The decisions reached at the 19th FCT Executive Council meeting covered healthcare, education, justice, power supply, land administration, environmental management, water treatment and security, reflecting the administration’s ongoing infrastructure and public service projects across the Federal Capital Territory.