Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Contrary to the position of Southern governors, the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, subtly campaigned for the presidential aspiration of his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and described him as the man Nigeria needed at the moment.
He also prayed for his elevation to a higher pedestal in the nation’s affairs while commissioning a N3.2 billion state of the art Sokoto State Advanced Medical Diagnostic Center (SOSAMEDIC) constructed by Tambuwal in Sokoto.
In a statement by his Media Adviser, Mohammed Bello, Okowa was quoted thus: “Coming here, I have seen the way he relates with his people. That is what Nigeria needs.
“You are a man of peace, who is always ready to build bridges. We are very thankful that God has ensured that you have held several positions. My prayers for you is that God will elevate you,” Okowa said, while showering encomiums on the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, whom he said was committed to the Nigerian project.
The statement said that the construction of the edifice located a few kilometers from the 950-bed Sokoto State University Teaching Hospital (SOSUTH), which construction has reached over 60 per cent, gulped N824 million and is equipped with N2.4 billion ultra-modern equipment.
The latter include facilities for ECG, Stress ECG, Echocardiography, and Vascular Doppler, Gastrology, Endoscopy, Neurology, and EEG.
Other upscale tools for diagnosis are those for MRI, CT scan, Fluoroscopy, Digital X-ray, Mammography, Chemical Pathology, Histopathology, Microbiology, and Hematology.
All these are housed in radiology, laboratory, dental, and ENT units as well as out-patient clinics, with capacity for medical, radiological and laboratory investigations.
“I want to congratulate my brother Governor (Tambuwal) for thinking about the people, because this is a project for the people and one that the people will cherish long after you have left the governor as Governor.
“I am not surprised that you are able to render services to your people in such a manner that they are happy, because you have always been focused and believed in your people and those of Nigeria.
“I am not surprised with what I see here. It is only a prudent person that can ensure this level of construction at below a billion naira. Having told us about the equipment inside, I am excited that the new best of equipment have also been put on ground,”.
Earlier, Tambuwal informed the gathering that the project was a product of consultations with Sultan before the draft proposal of an annual budget a couple of years ago.
“Whoever lives in Sokoto enjoys the benefit of free education, healthcare and every other services that the state avails its citizens,” stressing the need for national cohesion, integration and good governance as against divisive partisan politics.
