Ahmed Miringa 
…As it’s assess projects in Maiduguri, Jere
On Sunday, the North East Development Commission (NEDC) pledged to support the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital to repair some of its equipment damaged by the recent flood that ravaged Maiduguri and its environs.
The Managing Director of the NEDC, Alhaji Goni Alkali who disclosed this when he led a team of the Governing board said the nanagent of the commission to the UMTH.
“We are here to assess the damage caused by the recent flood and see how we can support you to repair some of these machines that were damaged by the flood”, the MD said.
While taking the NEDC board and management around some of the damaged equipment, the Chief Medical Director of the UMTH, Prof. Ahmed Ahijo said the hospital dreamed of being one of the best hospitals in Nigeria but the recent flood has drawn the hospital back to over 20 years ago.
“We have the latest equipment in our cancer centre, which we believe will help us stop medical tourism abroad but this flood has taken us back because most of these machines or equipment were submerged and damaged by the flood”, Prof Ahijo said.
He said the MRAP machines that were bought at the cost of N1.6 billion require about N2 to N3 billion to repair due to the inflation caused by the exchange rate, stressing that some of the machines that were bought at the cost of N1.3 billion now cost N 6 billion.
The NEDC team were also on an assessment visit to Alau Dam, Jere Bowl Road, Eye and Dental Hospital, NEDC, an office under construction among other projects awarded by the commission in Maiduguri and Jere local government areas of Borno state.
Speaking in an interview at the Alau Dam, Alhaji Goni Alkali said “As you can recall, wee were here as a team, about two or three times including the journalists and the Jere Bowl road. We have contractual transactions, unfortunately, the recent flood has affected both contracts”
” We are here to assess how the flood affect the contract awarded for the construction of dyke and the way forward to see whether we can continue with the contract or revoke and re-award the contract”, the MD said.
” The contract for the construction of the dyke was awarded to control water spillage but with the recent flooding, we want to assess the damage and see whether to continue with the project or re-award another one”, added.
