By Kabir Abdulsalam
President Muhammadu Buhari plans to spend 21.9 billion naira on the State House Medical Centre, an analysis of the 2022 Budget signed into Law shows.
The State House Medical Center will, according to the 2022 Budget Documents available to Economic Confidential, gulp a total of N21,883,577,119.
The construction of a Presidential Wing at the Medical Centre is set to cost N20,876,025,145.
Under the recurrent expenditure, the office is expected to spend N669,641,093, out of which overhead will cost is N331,730,212.
N11,515,048 has been allocated for local travels, transport and training while the sum of N212,601,087 was allocated for material and supplies – general for Drug & Medical supplies and Uniform & other clothing.
The State House Medical Centre will also receive the sum of N91,187,598 for maintenance of office /IT equipment while N16,426,479 will go for local trainings.
The Medical Center allocated N80,750,000 for the construction/ provision of hospital and health care centre.
The presidency also allocated N28,500,000 for the completion of ‘Dental Wing extension and outstanding liabilities on reclamation and Earth filling.’
Procurement of medical equipment will gulp 257,160,881 and N52,250,000 is allocated for the construction of 2 blocks of 24 units 3 bedroom flats.
While the Medical Centre has been a subject of humongous budgetary allocations in recent years, observers have called its efficiency to question especially with the fact that the First Family does not make use of it as they prefer to be treated abroad.
In 2016, President Buhari went to the UK to treat ear and nose infections and often go to the country even for routine checkups.
It would be recalled that in 2017, the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, had said the facility was poorly run despite billions committed to it over the years and her daughter, Zahra, also said the hospital was unable to provide even “paracetamol” at a time of need.
