Nigeria First (Abuja)
9 October 2008
Abuja — A medical equipment maintenance agreement contract worth N500 million (about 3.075euros) for the revival of the National Hospital Abuja was on October 8, 2008 approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The contract is for a period of four years and was awarded to Messrs Phillips Medical Systems, a Netherlands-based firm which initially supplied all the equipment being used in the hospital,
Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. John Odey, along with his colleague for Interior, Maj. Gen. Godwin Abbe and the Minister of State for Transportation, Mr. John Emeka told journalists after the FEC meeting that the company initially had a three-year agreement to maintain the equipment at the National Hospital at its commissioning in May 1999, but it was terminated in 2001 "due to funding constraint".
Mr. Odey explained that the contract became necessary because, since the termination of the initial one, no new agreement has been entered into to maintain the hospital, leading to broken down equipment.
According to Odey, "since the termination of the contract, the hospital has been unable to repair its broken down equipment and therefore could not put into full use some of its essential diagnostic medical equipment such as MRI, CT Scan, Mammogram, etc. These broken down equipment, over the years, have adversely affected the hospital's clinical services, especially to those patients in need of diagnostic investigations."
Also approved by the Council was a contract of N583.2 million to Messrs Under-Water Engineering Nigeria Ltd for the second phase removal of wrecks and derelicts within Lagos Ports (ranging from Commodore Poll to Port Novo Creeks)
The wrecks, according to the Minister of State for Water Transportation, caused safety and pollution hazards to the maritime environment, as well as breach the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SPLA 74) to which Nigeria is a signatory.
The Council further endorsed eight contracts for diverse projects at the permanent site of the University of Abuja in the sum of N1, 463,449,054.34, to facilitate its movement to the permanent site.
Awarded to different contractors, the contracts consist of faculty of engineering building phase II, faculty of veterinary medicine building phase II, faculty of social sciences building phase II, centre for distance learning building/continuing education, convention square, walk ways and landscaping, faculty of agriculture building phase II; and supply/ installation of injection sub-station and associated works and supply as well as installation of 11KVA and 33 KVA switch board Panel and Associated Works.
FEC also approved the award of contract for one water/foam fire truck to the Federal Fire Service, for training and fire fighting in the sum of N72, 741, 37.80 in favour of Messrs Roudo Ltd., with a completion period of 12 weeks.
In addition, the Council approved a draft legislation to be forwarded to the National Assembly (NASS) for the domestication of Biological Weapons Convention in Nigeria.
It also approved the proposed amendment to the revised 2007 Public Service Rules.
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