The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approved the immediate renovation and upgrading of all 14 general hospitals across the territory.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has also directed the immediate resumption of work on the long-abandoned Utako General Hospital.
The decisions were among the resolutions reached at the 19th meeting of the FCT Executive Council, attended by the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, Naija News understands.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Chidi Amadi, said the council considered 20 memoranda presented by various secretariats, departments and agencies.
The Mandate Secretary of the Health Secretariat and Environmental Services, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the council approved the immediate commencement of renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of the 14 general hospitals.
She said the work would include the purchase of new medical equipment, X-ray machines and diagnostic materials, as well as the upgrading of hospital theatres.
Fasawe also disclosed that Wike had ordered the immediate return of workers to the Utako General Hospital project, which had been abandoned for several years.
According to her, the project would involve the construction, equipping and staffing of the facility.
She said the measures were aimed at improving residents’ access to quality and affordable healthcare.
Fasawe added that the administration had continued to meet its financial obligations to health insurance providers and Health Maintenance Organizations through the payment of premiums and capitation.
The council also approved the digitalization of the FCT High Court, covering about 67 courtrooms across its judicial divisions.
The General Counsel, Salman Dako, said the project would introduce electronic court recording and case-management systems to replace handwritten records and physical files.
He said the move was designed to address challenges linked to manual documentation, adding that implementation would begin immediately, with noticeable improvements expected within two weeks.
In the education sector, the council approved two contracts for the supply of examination materials for pupils and students in primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools across the FCT.
The Mandate Secretary for Education, Dr Danlami Hayyo, said the approval was part of efforts to sustain the administration’s work on public schools through renovation, rehabilitation, improved classrooms and the provision of instructional materials.
Hayyo said improvements in public school infrastructure had encouraged some parents to move their children from private schools to public schools.
He added that the examination materials would help ensure the smooth conduct of examinations across public schools in the territory.
The Satellite Towns Development Department also received approval for a ₦5.703 billion contract to construct a 33KVA power supply line from Dawaki to Tukulo and other surrounding communities in Bwari Area Council.
The department’s Coordinator, Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, said the contract was awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited and would be completed within eight months.
The council also ratified two completed and commissioned road projects in the satellite towns.
They include the Gaba-Tukulo Road and two-span river bridge in Bwari Area Council, awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited at ₦8.219 billion, including 7.5 per cent VAT.
The second is the rehabilitation of the Paikon Kore-Ibuwa Road in Gwagwalada Area Council, also awarded to Setraco at ₦8.890 billion, including VAT.
Zulkiflu said both projects had a 12-month completion period and had already been completed and commissioned.
Land Administration Gets ICT Upgrade
The council approved three memoranda aimed at improving operations and revenue collection in land administration.
The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said the approvals included the procurement of utility vehicles and an integrated ICT infrastructure for the department.
He said the ICT upgrade would cover desktop computers, workstations, display screens, scanners, network switches, fiber-optic connections, data-center servers, monitoring systems and cooling facilities.
The council also ratified the award of a contract for the printing of customized revenue receipt booklets.
Nwankwoeze said the redesigned receipts would contain improved security features to prevent alteration and fraudulent practices in land revenue collection.
He said the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company would handle the printing.
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) secured approval for six memoranda, five for ratification and one for fresh approval.
The AMMC Overseeing Coordinator, Mrs Mary Amina Ahmadu, said the approvals would support maintenance works across the capital, especially in waterways and other areas affected by environmental challenges.
She said indiscriminate dumping of refuse had contributed to blocked waterways and flooding in parts of the territory, stressing the need for regular maintenance and proper environmental management.
The FCT Water Board also received approval for two memoranda, including the supply of high-test hypochlorite (HTH), a powdered chlorine used for water treatment.
The Acting General Manager of the Water Board, Mrs Chinyere Elechi, said the chemical was needed to disinfect water and remove harmful microorganisms before it was supplied to consumers.
She said proper water treatment was important in preventing waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery.
The second approval concerned the renewal of insurance for facilities linked to the Lower Usman Dam Treatment Plant.
On security, the Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, said the council approved the construction of a new divisional police station at the Wasa Informal Sector.
The station is expected to support security arrangements ahead of the planned relocation of Apo mechanics and artisans to the area.
Gwary said the project would be completed within six months and followed Wike’s directive to provide adequate security as economic activities increase in the area.
He said the Wasa station was part of the administration’s plan to bring policing closer to rural and developing communities across the FCT.
According to him, the FCTA 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, furnished and handed over.
Each of the completed stations, he said, also has furnished accommodation for six police personnel.
The 19th FCT Executive Council meeting also approved measures covering justice, education, land administration, power, environmental management, water supply and security as the administration continues its infrastructure and public-service development programme across the territory.
