Yobe Approves over N6Bn for Health, Infrastructure
By Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu
The Yobe State Executive Council has approved a new policy requiring all public officers to be trained on public finance law and ratified over N6 billion projects in the areas of healthcare, roads infrastructure, and commerce.
Chaired by Governor Mai Mala Buni, the council made it mandatory for all newly appointed officials to receive copies of the Public Finance Management Law and its Implementation Manual upon assuming duty.
The State Commissioner of Finance, Muhammad Abatcha, explained that the law, signed in 2020, has not been widely circulated.
“It is not enough to hold an office and spend public funds without informing citizens how those funds are utilized,” Abatcha stated,
To ensure compliance, the council approved including the law in civil service examinations, agreeing that henceforth “senior officers seeking promotion will now be examined on the content of this law”.
In a significant boost to healthcare, the council ratified anticipatory approvals totaling over N2.1 billion for hospitals upgrade and procurement of medical equipment.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Lawan Gana, announced that N1.7 billion was approved for civil works at the Specialist Hospitals in Buni Yadi and Damaturu, as well as the General Hospital in Nangere to upgrade operating theatres and maternity centres to meet regulatory standards.
He said, further that N473 million was ratified for procurement of modern medical equipment, including radio-diagnostic tools, for hospitals across the state.
The Council also approved two major infrastructure projects in Potiskum worth N2.6 billion.
According to the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Umaru Wakili Duddaye, the projects include the 4.7-kilometer extension of the Potiskum Township Road, linking Baswa Junction to Unguwan Fulani.
This project includes constructing a large culvert over a river that frequently floods and disrupts movement during the rainy season.
The second project is the expansion of the Potiskum Trailer Park, which will double the present capacity from 3,000 to 6,000 square meters to accommodate more vehicles and improve traffic flow. An additional access road will also be constructed.
Under commerce, the council approved the construction of pavements, clinics, and fire service stations in the nearly completed modern markets in Ngalda and Yunusari.
A third project involves extensive external works at the Ngalda Modern Market, including drainage systems, a retaining wall, and land reclamation.
