From Fred Itua, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the construction and equipping of 14-bed space presidential clinic at the cost of N21 billion.
Permanent Secretary, State House, Umar Tijjani, told members of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs while presenting the 2022 budget for consideration.
He said Julius Berger Nigeria (JBN) will construct the VIP clinic and the physical construction will start on November 1, 2021 while the commissioning will be done on December 31, 2022.
The permanent secretary explained said presidential clinic will contain 14-bed facilities with total area 2,700 square meters, adding there will be underground, first floor, two number operating theatre, two number Executive Suit, two VIP, two isolation and one-number of six-bed isolation area in the building.
He said there will be laboratory, healing garden, pharmacy and X-ray facility in the clinic.
“The project was conceived in 2012 by previous administration and the brief was produced. Most of the preliminary work has been concluded and Mr. President has approved the project. We have gone to Bureau of Public Procurement to get Certificate of No Objection,” he said.
He told the committee that JBN was picked as the contractor because they built state House and have been maintaining it since 1990 and JBN has done great Job, adding that JBN was considered because of security reason.
According to him, the clinic will also be opened to other Africa countries for medical treatment. But, one of the members of the committee, Nicolas Tofowomo expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the permanent secretary of State House to show the committee pictorial view of the hospital.
However, some other members of the committee, led by the Chairman, Danjuma La’ah, commended the initiative of the Federal Government for the construction and equipping the presidential wing of state House clinic which will be delivered on December 31, 2022.