The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approved the rehabilitation and upgrading of all 14 general hospitals in the territory, while also directing the resumption of work on the abandoned Utako General Hospital.
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The decisions were reached on Tuesday during the 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Council, chaired by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, with the Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, also in attendance.
The council approved the immediate renovation and upgrading of the general hospitals, including the provision of new medical equipment, diagnostic facilities and improvements to hospital theatres.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Chidi Amadi, said the council considered 20 memoranda presented by different secretariats, departments and agencies of the administration.
He said the decisions were aimed at improving infrastructure and public services across the Federal Capital Territory.
On the health sector, the Mandate Secretary for the Health Secretariat and Environmental Services, Adedolapo Fasawe, said all 14 general hospitals would benefit from the approved intervention.
She said the programme would include the purchase of medical equipment such as X-ray machines and other diagnostic materials, as well as improvements to hospital theatres.
Fasawe also disclosed that the minister had ordered the immediate restart of work on the Utako General Hospital, which has remained unused for several years.
She said the project would involve completing the construction of the hospital, equipping it with the necessary facilities and providing the required staff.
According to her, the measures are expected to improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for residents of the FCT.
She added that the administration had continued to meet its financial commitments to health insurance providers and Health Maintenance Organisations through the payment of premiums and capitation.
The council also approved the digital transformation 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 recording and digital case-management systems to replace the current dependence on handwritten records and physical case files.
He said the new system would help reduce problems linked to manual documentation and was expected to begin immediately, with initial improvements targeted 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 was part of the administration’s efforts to improve public schools through renovation, rehabilitation, better classrooms and the supply of learning materials.
He said improvements in public school facilities had led some parents to move their children from private schools to government-owned schools.
Hayyo added that the examination materials would help ensure that tests and examinations were conducted properly across public schools in the territory.
The Satellite Towns Development Department also received approval for a N5.703 billion contract to construct a 33KVA power supply line from Dawaki to Tukulo and nearby communities in Bwari Area Council.
The Coordinator of the department, Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, said CGC Nigeria Limited was awarded the contract, which is expected to be completed within eight months.
The council further ratified two road projects that had already been completed and commissioned in the satellite towns.
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One of the projects is the Gaba-Tukulo Road and a two-span river bridge in Bwari Area Council. The project was awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited for N8.219 billion, including 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax.
The second project is the rehabilitation of the Paikon Kore-Ibuwa Road in Gwagwalada Area Council, also awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited at a cost of N8.890 billion, including VAT.
Zulkiflu said both projects had a 12-month completion period and had already been delivered and commissioned.
The Department of Land Administration also secured approval for three memoranda aimed at improving its operations and increasing revenue collection.
The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said the council approved the purchase of utility vehicles as well as an integrated information and communication technology system for the department.
The upgrade will include desktop computers, workstations, display screens, scanners, network switches, fibre-optic connections, data-centre servers, monitoring equipment and cooling systems.
The council also ratified a contract for the production of customised revenue receipt booklets for land-related payments.
Nwankwoeze said the new receipts would contain stronger security features to reduce the risk of alterations and fraud in the collection of land revenue.
The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company will produce the new receipt booklets.
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council also obtained approval for six memoranda, including five for ratification and one for a new project.
The Overseeing Coordinator of AMMC, Mary Amina Ahmadu, said the approvals would support maintenance activities across Abuja, especially in waterways and areas facing environmental problems.
She linked blocked waterways and flooding in some parts of the FCT to indiscriminate dumping of waste, stressing the need for regular maintenance and better environmental management.
The FCT Water Board received approval for two memoranda, one of which covers the supply of powdered chlorine, also known as high-test hypochlorite, for water treatment.
The Acting General Manager of the Water Board, Chinyere Elechi, said the chemical would be used to disinfect water and remove harmful microorganisms before it is supplied to residents.
She said proper water treatment was needed 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.
The FCTA Security Services Department also secured approval for the construction of a new divisional police station at the Wasa Informal Sector.
The facility is expected to provide security for the area ahead of the planned relocation of Apo mechanics and artisans to Wasa. The project has a six-month completion period.
The Director of the Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, said the police station followed a directive by Wike to strengthen security in the area as commercial activities increase.
He said the Wasa project forms part of the administration’s wider plan to improve policing in developing and rural communities across the FCT.
Gwary disclosed that the administration plans to construct two divisional police stations in each of the six area councils. He added that stations in Ushafa and Saburi had already been completed, equipped and handed over, with each facility provided with furnished accommodation for six police personnel.
The 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Council therefore approved projects covering healthcare, education, justice, land administration, electricity, environmental management, water supply and security as the administration continues its infrastructure and public service programmes across the territory.
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