Presidency: N10.06bn Already Released for State House VIP Clinic

•Says project to be ready December

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Presidency says it has released N10.06 billion for the ongoing construction of the Presidential VIP Wing of the State House Clinic within the precincts of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Addressing the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs during an oversight visit to the clinic under construction, Tijanni Umar, the Permanent Secretary of the State House, assured that the project would be ready by December 31, 2022.

Giving a breakdown of the project’s financial status, Tijanni disclosed that the N416.6 million budgeted for the project in 2020 and N1.06 billion in 2021 had been paid in full.

The total budgeted cost for the state-of-the-art clinic, which will cater to the health needs of the president, vice president and other top government officials, was put at N20.9 billion.

He indicated that out of the N20.8 billion budgeted for the project in 2022, the Federal Government had released N8.5 billion.

He recalled that in line with due process, President Muhammadu Buhari approved Julius Berger Plc to review, develop the concept design and proceed with the construction as a turnkey contract.

“Accordingly, on July 29 2021, the company was instructed to proceed with the review of the concept design and other site works simultaneously, based on which a roadmap/timeline for the construction of the facility was developed,” explained the State House official.

He added, ”In furtherance to this, the site was handed over to M/s JBN on August 23, 2021, which proceeded to undertake necessary and extensive site survey and other ancillary works paving the way for the ground breaking and foundation laying that was performed by the Chief of Staff to the President on November 1, 2021.”

The permanent secretary also noted that the schedule of payment plan linked to the work plan negotiated with the company “in line with the advice of” the finance minister “outlining milestones at which the client is expected to effect regular periodic payment for work done.” This, he stressed, was to sustain the momentum of work and “to deliver/commission the project by December 31, 2022, is yet to be fully aligned.”

Speaking further, he explained: “I should like to say that my remarks will be incomplete without expressing my profound and unreserved gratitude to you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, for the sustained interest in this project, which by all standards will be a cherished national asset and a legacy of the present administration.”

Expressing satisfaction with the progress of work during the visit, the leader of the senate delegation and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator Danjuma La’ah, said the project, when completed, would address the issue of medical tourism.

”For the remarkable steps so far reached on the project site, I am highly impressed,” said La’ah.

The senator, who described the progress of the work as fantastic, commended Julius Berger and the management of State House, led by Umar, for complying with the schedule for the completion of the project.

”We will take it as a point of duty to keep a tab on this project until it is completed,” added La’ah.

He recalled that when he assumed the committee’s leadership, he pledged that the Senate would ensure that the clinic is properly equipped to provide world-class medical services to principal officers in the State House, Abuja.

Julius Berger’s Regional Manager, Oliver Berger, who took the legislators through the project’s “milestones,” assured them that the project situated on a 2,800sqm land area would be completed on schedule.