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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approved the immediate renovation, rehabilitation and modernization of all general hospitals (14) in the territory, with new medical equipment, diagnostic facilities and theater upgrades, while they are set to resume work on the long-abandoned Utako General Hospital.
These decisions feature among the major resolutions of the 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Council, chaired by FCT Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike, in the presence of the Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud.
After the meeting, the Chief of Staff of the Minister of the FCT, Hon. Chidi Amadi, said the council had considered 20 memoranda from various secretariats, departments and agencies.
According to him, the proposals are critical to the continued development of infrastructure and improvement of public services in the nation’s capital.
Providing details of the health sector resolutions, the Mandate Secretary, Health Secretariat and Environmental Services, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the council approved the immediate commencement of the renovation, rehabilitation and modernization of all general hospitals in the FCT.
He said the intervention will involve the procurement of new equipment, including X-ray machines and diagnostic materials, as well as the upgrading of hospital theatres.
Fasawe also revealed that Wike had directed the commencement of work on the Utako General Hospital, which had remained abandoned for years.
He said the intervention will cover the construction, equipment and staffing of the facility.
According to her, the measures should strengthen the availability of quality, affordable and accessible healthcare services for residents of the FCT.
Fasawe added that the administration continued to meet its financial obligations to health insurance providers and health maintenance organizations through the payment of premiums and dues.
The council also approved the digitization of the FCT High Court, covering around 67 courtrooms in its various judicial divisions.
General Counsel Salman Dako said the project will introduce electronic court registration and case management systems, replacing manual registration and physical filing of cases with digital processes.
It said the initiative will address challenges associated with manual documentation and handwritten records, adding that implementation is expected to begin immediately, with notable improvements targeted within two weeks.
The Education Secretariat also obtained approval for two contracts for the supply of examination materials for pupils and students of primary, middle and high schools in the FCT.
Education Secretary-in-Charge Dr Danlami Hayyo said the approval is part of efforts to consolidate the administration’s ongoing transformation of public schools through renovation, rehabilitation, improvement of school facilities and provision of teaching materials.
Hayyo said improved public school infrastructure has encouraged some parents to transfer their children from private to public schools.
He said the provision of exam materials would ensure that exams were conducted smoothly in FCT public schools.
The Satellite Towns Development Department, STDD, has also secured approval for a $5.703 billion contract to construct a 33 KVA power supply line from Dawaki to Tukulo and surrounding villages in Bwari Area Council.
The Coordinator of STDD, Hon Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, said the project has been awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited and will be completed within eight months.
The Council also ratified two previously completed and commissioned road projects in satellite cities.
They include the construction of Gaba-Tukulo Road and double-span river bridge in Bwari Area Council, awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited for N8.219 billion, inclusive of VAT at 7.5%.
The second is the rehabilitation of Paikon Kore-Ibuwa road in Gwagwalada Area Council, also awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited for N8.890 billion, including VAT at 7.5%.
Zulkiflu said both projects had a 12-month completion period and have already been completed and commissioned.
The Department of Land Administration has secured approval for three protocols aimed at improving its operations and strengthening revenue collection.
Land Management Director Chijioke Nwankwoeze said the council approved the purchase of commercial vehicles and integrated ICT infrastructure and related accessories for the department.
The ICT upgrade includes desktop computers, workstations, screens, scanners, network switches, fiber optic connections, data center servers, monitoring systems and cooling systems, among other facilities.
The Council also ratified the awarding of the contract for the printing of personalized tax receipt booklets.
Nwankwoeze said the redesigned receipts will contain improved security features aimed at preventing alterations and fraudulent practices in the land revenue collection system.
The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, which produces Nigeria’s currency, will handle the printing of the new receipts.
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC, has secured approval for six memoranda, five of which were for ratification and one for re-approval.
AMMC Supervision Coordinator, Mrs Mary Amina Ahmadu, said the approvals would facilitate maintenance works across the capital, particularly in waterways and other areas affected by environmental challenges.
He said indiscriminate waste dumping had contributed to blocked waterways and flooding in some parts of the FCT, stressing the need for sustained maintenance and environmental management.
The FCT Water Board also obtained approval for two memoranda, including the supply of powdered chlorine, otherwise known as high-test hypochlorite, HTH, for water treatment.
The Water Board’s Acting Director-General, Mrs Chinyere Elechi, said the chemical was essential to disinfect water and eliminate disease-causing microorganisms before distribution to consumers.
He said proper water treatment is necessary to prevent water-borne diseases, including cholera, typhoid and dysentery.
The second memorandum approved by the council was for the renewal of insurance for facilities associated with the Lower Usman Dam treatment plant.
Also speaking, FCTA Director of Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, approved the construction of a new divisional police station in the Wasa informal sector ahead of the planned relocation of Apo mechanics and artisans to the area. The contract was approved on Tuesday at the 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Council, with a delivery deadline of six months. Gwary, said the project follows the Minister’s directive to provide adequate security to the sector and surrounding communities as economic activities increase.
Gwary said the Wasa project is part of Wike’s broader security initiative aimed at bringing the police closer to rural and developing communities across the FCT. He disclosed that the administration plans to construct two divisional police stations in each of the six area councils, adding that two stations in Ushafa and Saburi had already been completed, furnished and handed over, and each facility also has furnished quarters for the six-man staff.
Decisions at the 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Council cover health, education, justice, land administration, energy, environmental management and water supply, as the administration steps up efforts to improve infrastructure and public services across the Federal Capital Territory.
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