Rivers State Executive Council has approved N74.9bn for various contracts out of which N19.5bn will be used to reconstruct the demolished House of Assembly auditorium.
Other contracts approved by the council were construction of Kalaibiama/Epellema Road, completion of four zonal hospitals across the state, renovation of Bonny General Hospital; renovation and upgrade of Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Rumuigbo and construction of new General Hospital at Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, said the Kalaibiama-Epellema Road and bridge in Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area would gulp over N29bn while hospitals would cost N26.3bn.
The zonal Hospitals are located in Ahoada Town in Ahoada Local Government; Degema Town in Degema Local Government; Omoku Town in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government; and Bori Town in Khana Local Government Area.
The State Government said that it decided to complete the construction of the zonal hospitals in four local government areas of the state in order to strengthen the secondary level healthcare service delivery to the people of the state.
At its meeting, presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and attended by Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu and other Council members at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday, the council approved the cancellation of all previous contracts awarded for the construction of the zonal hospitals.
Speaking after the meeting, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, said the approval was sequel to the memos presented by the Ministry of Health to the State Executive Council.
Oreh said the ministry requested for the approval of the cancellation and termination of all existing contracts for the zonal hospitals in the state, and the re-awarding of fresh contracts that would enable completion of the projects, including the renovation of the Bonny General Hospital.
Oreh said that there was also the request for the renovation and upgrade of the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and the construction of a new General Hospital at Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
She said: “We are thankful to the Rivers State Executive Council that the various decisions sought and prayers that were made by the Rivers State Ministry of Health for the approval of the termination of the contracts for completion of the Zonal Hospitals at Ahoada, Bori, Degema and Omoku, and the re-award of fresh contracts for their completion were approved
