From Ekaete Ikubor
PORT HARCOURT
The Rivers State government has inaugurated the N26 billion Dr Peter Odili Cancer Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in Port Harcourt inaugurated by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.
The governor noted that seamlessly his administration has delivered the centre within the agreed timeline of 14 months for Rivers people and Nigerians at large, saying his administration has proven that through budgetary integrity, commitment and prudence nothing was too difficult to achieve in governance for Nigerians.
Wike stressed that Rivers people deserved the best, which was why the best quality has been delivered at the centre, which was similar to the best quality delivered on all other projects.
The governor announced plans for a partnership arrangement going on based on the strength of the understanding brokered with the United States Consul General, Mr Will Stevens for a team from the United States to manage the centre.
He also explained that the facility was named after Dr Peter Odili because he was a Rivers leader who had operated one of the best clinics in the state, served as a governor meritoriously and now contributing to medical education in the state.
The governor blamed the menace of abandoned projects in Nigeria on poor budgetary allocation to projects by the National Assembly.
Wike noted that one of the reasons why federal government projects take years to accomplish was because the National Assembly often allocates paltry funds to projects earmarked for execution every fiscal year when it knows that such funds were grossly inadequate to achieve any meaningful milestone.
“That is for a project that will cost N26 billion, you are putting N500 million in the budget for one year. Then, it will now take you more than 20 years to achieve it. By then, the cost will move up from N26 billion to one hundred and something billion”, he stated.
He stated that such practice has continued to encourage the abandonment of projects and promoted inadequacy in terms of governance, project delivery and public service.
Performing the inauguration of the project, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero said it was pertinent to commend the sagacity and foresight of Governor Wike for initiating and actualising such a novel project.
Bayero noted that the centre, which was the very first of its kind in the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole, would surely benefit people beyond the boundaries of the South-South region.
He maintaned that with the commissioning of the centre, those afflicted with cancer and other oncological elements can at least breath a sigh of relief for the succour at their doorsteps.
According to him, there was no gainsaying that infrastructure of this magnitude was very difficult to maintain and appealed for a positive paradigm shift in attitude towards maintenance culture.
“We call upon the incoming administration and the people of Rivers State to own this improved infrastructure by ensuring that this very vital centre is well equipped and maintained at all times. The facilities should regularly be upgraded to meet global standards. The staff should be trained, retrained and updated on the latest medical technology and innovation, he said.
In his goodwill message, former governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili, said he and his family were delighted for the honourdone to them with such a centre named after him while he was alive.
Odili said Wike should have been a medical doctor because of the medical infrastructure he had provided in the state which was second to none in the history of Nigeria.
“The president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has spoken on it and I said that there is no medical facility in this country, built by a state government that has everything you have here”, he said.
The commissioner for health, Professor Princewill Chike, said the centre, among other features, has three theatres, Catheterization Laboratory, Radiotherapy, Brachytherapy and nuclear medicine.
According to him, there are doctor’s quarters, Helipad, modern incinerators,1000,1000 & 800 KVA in series to power the centre.
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