By Stella Odueme
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has approved the immediate resumption of work on the abandoned Utako General Hospital, as well as the comprehensive renovation, rehabilitation and re-equipping of all general hospitals in the FCT.
The decisions were taken at the 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Committee, presided over by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, alongside the Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud.
Briefing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the Utako hospital project would cover construction, equipping and staffing.
She also disclosed that the EXCO approved the immediate award of contracts for the renovation and rehabilitation of existing general hospitals across the territory.
According to Fasawe, the upgrade would include new medical equipment, X-ray machines, diagnostic materials and theatre facilities.
She said the combined intervention would improve access to quality, affordable and accessible healthcare for residents of the FCT.
According to a statement by the Deputy Director, Press Office of the Minister, Rabi Musa Umar, the EXCO also approved measures to strengthen security in rural and satellite communities.
The Director of the Security Department, Adamu Gwary, said a fresh six-month contract had been approved for security infrastructure at the newly established Wasa informal sector, including a dedicated police station to serve the area.
He said the project would complement the administration's plan to construct two fully furnished divisional police headquarters, each with six-man staff quarters, in each of the six Area Councils.
Gwary noted that police stations in Ushafa and Saburi had already been completed and handed over, while other projects were at advanced stages.
In the judicial sector, the General Counsel, FCT, Salman Dako, said EXCO approved the comprehensive digitisation of the FCT High Court system within two weeks.
He said the project would introduce electronic court recording and automated case management systems across 67 courtrooms in various judicial divisions.
The digitisation, he explained, would replace manual documentation and handwritten proceedings with electronic filing and record management, while addressing longstanding challenges associated with court records.
In the education sector, the Education Secretary, Danlami Hayyo, disclosed that the EXCO approved the procurement of examination materials for primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools in the FCT.
He said the measure was aimed at ensuring smooth examinations in public schools, which had witnessed increased enrolment following the movement of pupils and students from private schools amid ongoing renovation and modernisation of public schools.
Hayyo also said the administration had paid 40 per cent of Area Council teachers' arrears entitlement and was providing a monthly ₦2 billion intervention to support teachers' welfare and maintain industrial harmony.
For satellite communities, the Coordinator of the Satellite Towns Development Department, Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, announced the award of a ₦5.3 billion contract to Messrs CGC Nigeria Limited for the construction of an 33KVA power supply line from Dawakinchi to Tokulo and neighbouring communities in Bwari.
The EXCO also ratified two completed projects executed by Messrs Setraco Nigeria Limited — the Gaba/Tokulo Road with a two-span river bridge in Bwari, and the ₦8.8 billion Paikon Kore/Ibwa Road rehabilitation project in Gwagwalada.
The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said the committee approved the procurement of utility vehicles, hardware and data centre upgrades for integrated ICT operations.
It also approved a contract with the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company for the production of revenue receipts with enhanced security features to curb fraud.
Meanwhile, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council received approval for six environmental interventions covering solid waste collection, waterway desilting, maintenance of common waste dumps and provision of modular hybrid solar street lighting.
The Acting General Manager of the FCT Water Board, Mrs Chinyere Elechi Arayi, said contracts had also been approved for the procurement of high-tech hypochlorite powdered chlorine for water treatment.
She added that comprehensive insurance coverage for the Lower Usuma Dam treatment plant had been renewed as part of measures to safeguard water supply and prevent waterborne diseases.
The Chief of Staff, while concluding the briefing, commended journalists for their continued coverage of the FCT Administration.
He said the administration's development programme was designed to balance investment in the city centre with infrastructure and services in satellite towns and other underserved communities across the FCT.