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The federal government hinted yesterday that it has doled out a whooping sum of N4.1 trillion to be used ?under the National Strategic Health Plan ?to boost ?the ?health sector up to 2015.
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It also approved the Stepping up of contracts ?for the construction of ?three East West roads from the original amount of N138.9 billion to N245.9 billion.
Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku and his Health counterpart, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, made this disclosure while briefing State House Correspondents immediately after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential villa, Abuja.
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In his own briefing, Chukwu said that the N4 trillion earmarked for the health sector was an investment that involved all tiers of government and the private sector.
While pointing out that the huge amount translates to N666.3 billion a year, representing N5,100 per person per year, the minister said “it is a national health plan with all the tiers of government involved and even the private sector.
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“So it is not just the federal government that is making all that investment,” he added.
Chukwu noted that the five-year Plan was comprehensive enough that other stakeholders like state governments bought the idea whole heartedly and have even started setting up their respective state strategic health plans to facilitate effective implementation.
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He said, “the measures are encouraging better collaboration between federal and state governments and have resulted in a synergy that will maximise resources and achieve the health goals of government’s Vision 20: 2020.”
Chukwu clarified further that some of the projects and programmes that were encompassed in the Plan were even part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
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He disclosed that a review of the National Health Insurance Scheme was ongoing and in about two months from now, the recommendations would be taken to the National Assembly for public hearing and possible inclusion into the NHIS law.
According to him, the review became necessary following several complaints on some aspects from the public about coverage as well as the fact that less than two per cent of the national population, mainly federal workers, was taking advantage of the scheme.
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On his part, Information minister, Maku who announced the stepping up of contracts ?for the construction of ?three East West roads from the original amount of N138.9 billion to N245.9 billion, said the augmentation of the projects became necessary ?because of ?their locations in the oil industry zone ?and ?due to subsequent expansion in the scope of work.
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The said projects cover Warri-Kaima in Delta; Port Harcourt-Ahoada in Rivers state and Ahoada-Kaima in Rivers and Bayelsa States.
He blamed the initial engineers who designed the project for their failure to take into account the difficult terrain of the region, noting that the government had to redesign the projects especially the shoulders and the width to meet the required standard and it is expected to be completed by 2013.
On reasons for the huge amount, Maku said, “the augmentation of the project became imperative to adequately complete East-West road project, which by its location in the oil industry zone, is an
emerging heavily trafficked road in Nigeria which calls for a stable road pavement that is less prone to frequent failure and disruption of traffic flow.”
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Corroborating this position, minister of State for Niger Delta, Zainab Kuchi said that the project was awarded in 2006 to Julius Berger but was stalled by the insecurity in the region and budgetary constraints, hence the review and re-awarding of the contract to Messrs Setraco Nigeria Limited, with completion date of December, 2013.
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She added that if FEC had not approved the request for the N106, 968,419,582.65 augmentation, work would have stopped on the project by the end of August 2011.
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Kuchi said that the project was likely to create 2,000 additional jobs in line with the ? transformation agenda of the Federal Goverenment.?
Breakdown of the cost of the three sections was shown as follows: Warri-Kaiama in Delta State- from N64, 125 bn to N112, 166,400,493.60 bn; Port Harcourt-Ahoada in River State- from N29,922,478,839.19 bn to N48,973, 303,132.78 bn; ?Ahoada-Kaiama ?-From N44, 883, 718, 253.18 bn to
N84, 759, 913, 053.64 bn.
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Also, FEC awarded contracts for installation and commissioning of power substation at Akura in the sum of $19milion plus N1.5billion and substation at Olorunsogon at the cost of $15.1million plusN1, 2 billion, with completion period of 24 months.
It further approved another contract for the installation of software for the federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS) at the cost of N150million with a completion period of 12 months.