President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the site for the construction of the Presidential Wing of the State House Clinic.
Since assuming office in 2015, the President is usually flown abroad for medical check-up and treatment.
Critics wonder why he failed to push for the construction of another State House Clinic to cater for his health issues to save the country the financial burden of frequent trips.
The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs has visited the site of the new facility.
The Permanent Secretary, State House, Umar Tijjani, told the members that the new wing of the State House Clinic would serve the Nigerian populace.
But this is not totally expected as the center would particularly cater to the medical needs of the President, Vice-President, members of their families, and top government officials.
Tijjani said the project will be completed before the end of the Buhari administration.
Umar lamented the non-release of budgetary allocation to State House in full, noting that some of the facilities had become obsolete.
Out of about N8.699billion budgeted for State House in 2018, only about N5.083billion (58 percent) was released, he said.
In 2019, out of N6.955billion budgeted, only about N2billion was released. However, in 2020, about N4.878 billion was appropriated and fully released.
“By the time this administration leaves office, we would have the Presidential Wing of the State House Clinic in place”, NAN quoted him as saying.
“We have already started in earnest with activities that are required for the construction, we have received the necessary approvals.
”We have received no objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement. The contractor is going to come in form of a turnkey project, in order to mobilize and take over the site”, Tijjani added.
