President Muhammadu Buhari is to construct and equip a 14-bed Presidential Clinic at the sum of N21 billion, the permanent secretary, State House, Umar Tijjani, has said.
He disclosed this yesterday to members of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs during the presentation of the 2022 budget in Abuja.
He said that Julius Berger Nigeria (JBN) will construct the VIP Clinic and the physical construction will start on November 1, 2021, adding that the project is expected to be completed and commissioned on December 31, 2022.
The permanent secretary explained that the Presidential Clinic will contain 14-bed facilities with a total area of 2700 square meters adding that there will be an underground, first floor, two number operating theatre, two Executive Suites, 2 VIP suites, 2 Isolation centres and another six bed isolation area in the building.
He said that there would be a laboratory, healing garden, Pharmacy and X-ray facility in the clinic.
Tijjani said, “The project was conceived in 2012 by the previous administration and the brief was produced. It was estimated to cost about N21 billion and the facility contains 14 bed spaces with a total area of 2700 square meters, there will be underground and first floor.
“Two number Operating Theatre, two number Executive Suit, 2 VIP, 2 Isolation and One number of six bed isolation area.
“Most of the preliminary work has been concluded, Mr President has approved the project. We have gone to the Bureau of Public Procurement to get a certificate of no objection,” Tijjani 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 a great Job, adding that JBN was considered because of security reasons.
He said the clinic would also be opened to other African countries for medical treatment.
But, one of the members of the committee, Senator Nicolas Tofowomo expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the permanent secretary to show the committee a pictorial view of the hospital.
However, some members of the committee led by the chairman, Danjuma La’ah, commended the initiative of the federal government.
