In Jigawa state, a new site for the expansion of an existing Federal Medical Centre is being explained by the state government because of issues arising from the said expansion. BAYO MUHAMMAD ALABIRA reports.
The choice of Kangere in Birnin Kudu local government area of Jigawa state as the new site for the expanded Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in the state is, according to investigation equal to putting a round peg into a round hole.
This is because the FMC Birning Kudu which has been established as a general hospital in 1961 by the Late Premier of the defunct Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardaunan Sokoto is still compressed at its old site with the old structures.
However, since the assumption of office of the current chief medical director of the hospital, Dr Adamu Abdullahi Atterwahmie, the idea was conceived and the need for expansion and development of the hospital came up; hence the need for the new site was also developed.
State gov’t gives detailed explanation
In view of this, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Land, Survey and Urban Development Dutse, Mallam Adamu Hassan Birniwa has thrown more lights on what informed the need for the expansion of the hospital.
Birniwa disclosed this while featuring in a radio programme in Dutse.
He used the opportunity to explain how the choice of Kangere for the new site came up and the personalities that played importance roles towards this development as well as those who took the responsibility of paying the compensation to land owners.
He also made it clear on why the district head and the council chairman of Birnin Kudu local government area came into the matter.
Mallam Birniwa said when the management of the FMC Birnin Kudu discovered that the present old site was already choked up with structures with no other empty space remaining for expansion, the thought of searching for more land outsidet for further expansion was conceived.
“This brought about the consultation by the management of the hospital and putting the request directly to the state government which constituted a team of experts that went round searching for the suitable site for the expansion of the FMC,” Birniwa said.
To this end, Birniwa explained that the team of those wisemen constituted by the state government arrived at the choice of Kangere as the right place that has all the requirements needed. At the end of the day, 100 hectres of land was given out and that is where we are talking about.
Mallam Birniwa said the personalities that played the importance roles that transited into the success story of achieving the feat of having a new land for the expansion of FMC Birning Kudu were the management of the hospital led by the CMD, Dr Atterwahmie and the state government which searched for the new site and paid for the compensation to the land owners.
Faults claim of foul play
Birniwa further explained that the district head and the council chairman of Birning Kudu were not part of the idea for the expansion of the hospital despite the fact that they were mentioned by the land owners as people who compromised their interest.
“The two personalities were mentioned because they are the landlords and stakeholders in Birnin Kudu local government area; that is all.
“The idea was conceived by the management of the hospital and was jointly executed by the state government who owned the entire land in the state,” Birniwa explained.
Stressed benefits of project
He also reiterated that people around the new site do not know the importance of having that project in the area and especially on their land.
He added that when the project finally takes off, they would enjoy employment opportunities from generation to generation because there will be so many activities in and around the site always, till the works come to an end.
Birniwa said even when the works on the constructions come to an end, there are other employment opportunities that would be secured mainly for the indigenes apart from other developments that would be available for the communities living around the vicinity of the hospital.
He also drew the attention of the communities by assuring them that the entire processes and works from planning to the execution and finishing, they would be part of it.
“From the labourers to the engineers, depending on their educational levels for those of them that had gone to schools and even those that did not go to school, they can have something doing to help themselves and their families.”
He added that the developments in the new site such as roads, light and the availability of water will definitely affect the communities positively and that, he said, drastically reduce their hardship.
“The development of the new site of the hospital is the development of the entire area, businesses can be boosted. The locals can always have access to the hospital, they will be bringing their items, goods for sale in order to improve their living conditions,” Birniwa stressed.
Land owners properly compensated
He also stressed that the state government used a standard way of payment for compensation of land because the law says all lands belong to the government.
“Government has law guiding it on land matters, only the economic trees and the buildings belong to individuals otherwise the entire land is for the government.”
He said 100 hectres of land was acquired and the state government is using the Land Use Act law established by the military government to pay for the compensation, saying each person is paid based on the size of his plot of land, in addition to the economic trees and buildings.
The Nigerian Land Use Act of 1978 was established during the military when General Olusegun Obasanjo was Head of States. It abolished the then existing land tenure systems and replaced them with a uniform land administration system across the country.
Birniwa therefore explained that each state has a way it pays for compensation for which Jigawa also has its own way of payment for compensation according to its bye law.
He said the state government has every right to improve the condition of health of its people because the majority of patients that would be in that hospital be citizens of Jigawa and that is why the state government in seriously involved in the development of the FMC.
He also implored those that have not collected their compensation to go to the authority concerned and collect theirs. According to him, they can even form a group and go through the council chairman of Birning Kudu to channel their complaints to the government if the need arises.
