The Federal Capital Territory Administration has approved the immediate resumption of work on the long-abandoned Utako General Hospital in Abuja, as part of a series of decisions aimed at improving healthcare delivery and infrastructure across the FCT.
The approval was one of the major outcomes of the 19th FCT Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting, presided over by the FCT Minister, Mr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, alongside the Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud.
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The Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the health-sector decisions of the meeting.
Dr Fasawe said the Utako General Hospital project would resume immediately, with the approved plans covering its construction, equipping and staffing.
She also announced the approval of contracts for the comprehensive renovation, rehabilitation and modern re-equipping of all FCT general hospitals.
According to her, the upgrade will cover the provision of new equipment, including X-ray machines, diagnostic materials and theatre facilities.
Dr Fasawe said the interventions were designed to ensure that residents have access to quality, affordable and accessible healthcare services.
She explained that the availability of upgraded facilities, modern equipment and adequate personnel would improve the quality of healthcare delivered across the territory.
The EXCO also approved measures to strengthen security in rural and satellite communities across the FCT.
The Director of the Security Department, Adamu Gwary, said the committee approved a fresh six-month contract for security infrastructure at the newly established Wasa informal sector, including a dedicated police station to serve the wider area.
He said the initiative would complement the Minister’s plan to construct two fully furnished Divisional Police Headquarters, with six-man staff quarters at each location, in all six Area Councils.
Gwary noted that police stations at Ushafa and Saburi had already been completed and handed over to the administration, while other projects were at advanced stages of completion.
In another major decision, the FCT EXCO approved the comprehensive digital transformation of the FCT High Court system.
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The General Counsel of the FCT, Salman Dako, said the project would introduce electronic court recording and automated case-management systems across 67 courtrooms within the territory.
He said the initiative would move the courts away from manual documentation and handwritten proceedings to electronic filing and record management.
According to Dako, the digital transformation is expected to address longstanding record-keeping challenges and align the FCT High Court system with global best practices.
Education, Infrastructure Get Approvals
The Education Secretary, Danlami Hayyo, said EXCO also approved the procurement of examination materials for primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools across the FCT.
He said the measure would support hitch-free examinations in public schools, which have experienced increased enrolment following the migration of some students from private schools amid extensive renovations and classroom modernisation.
Hayyo also said the administration had funded 40 per cent of Area Council teachers’ outstanding arrears and was providing a ₦2 billion monthly intervention fund to support teachers’ welfare and maintain industrial harmony.
In satellite communities, the Coordinator of the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD), Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, announced a ₦5.3 billion contract to Messrs CGC Nigeria Limited for the construction of a 33KVA power supply line from Dawakinchi to Tokulo and neighbouring villages in Bwari.
The EXCO also ratified two completed and commissioned projects executed by Messrs Setraco Nigeria Limited: the Gaba/Tokulo Road, including 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 EXCO approved contracts for utility vehicles, hardware and data-centre upgrades for integrated ICT operations, as well as the production of revenue receipts with advanced security features by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company.
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) also received approval for six environmental interventions covering solid-waste collection, waterway desilting, common waste-dump maintenance and modular hybrid solar street lighting.
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The Acting General Manager of the FCT Water Board, Mrs Chinyere Elechi Arayi, confirmed approvals for the procurement of high-tech hypochlorite (HTH) powdered chlorine for water treatment and renewed comprehensive insurance coverage for the Lower Usuma Dam treatment plant.
The decisions formed part of the FCT Administration’s broader development programme, with the administration saying the interventions are intended to extend infrastructure and public services beyond Abuja’s city centre to satellite towns and other communities across the territory.