Urges EFCC, CSOs To Track Project 
The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) for the procurement and maintenance of state-of-the-art radiotherapy equipment worth N38 billion in six cancer centres across the country under the government’s Oncology Initiative.

The benefitting hospitals include the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina and the Jos University Teaching Hospital.

Speaking at the signing of the MOU with the six Teaching Hospitals yesterday in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, described the ceremony as an important milestone and the end of the tragic stories for Nigerians afflicted by cancers.

The minister noted that non-communicable diseases including cancer are among the fastest growing segments of the disease burden in Nigeria.

He stated that it is a tragedy that for over three years, monies were appropriated for cancer equipment but due to vested interests, the project has not been able to move forward, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has brought the tragedy to an end by changing the narrative.

Pate explained that shortly after he assumed duty, he learnt about the project, adding that some people had been blocking Nigeria from making progress due to selfish interests.

He stated that the ministry under his leadership looked at the documentation and the advice of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) as well as previous procurement processes and cancelled the previous one and initiated a new one.

Pate lamented that by the virtue of the delayed implementation of the project, over N7 billion was lost by the government due to inflation while so many lives, which would have been saved, were lost.

He said: “This is an important milestone. It’s probably the end of a tragic story for thousands of Nigerians who have all kinds of diseases; every day they struggle to get care, especially for those who are afflicted by cancers. You getting diagnosed is a tragedy by itself. We know that non-communicable diseases, including cancers, are among the fastest growing segment of Nigeria’s burden of disease. For us to see three to four years where monies have been appropriated for cancer equipment and for one reason or the other, we have not been able to move forward, that itself is another tragedy but that tragedy is coming to an end.

“I am very pleased that His Excellency, Mr. President, agreed for us to have the appropriation that was budgeted before signed into law for the gap that was identified by NSIA at that time to be implemented in collaboration with NSIA. So, the law itself was intended to be in collaboration with the NSIA based on the discussions that we have had.

After the appropriation was signed into law, we sought relief and were gratified by the President’s approval to proceed with the execution on the basis of the appropriated law in this way and implementation strategy that will see Nigerians having at least six new upgraded cancer infrastructure and equipment in our teaching hospitals. And so the agreement has been reviewed.”

The minister noted that the Ministry has saved N10 billion for the government by dealing directly with the equipment manufacturers instead of middlemen.

“We want to be fully transparent and invited the EFCC to be part of the programme,” he revealed.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the NSIA, Aminu Umar-Sadiq, observed that the Authority has seen first hand, the significant impact a world-class oncology centre can do in the lives of Nigerians with its facility at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

He stated that the six centres would be provided with the right equipment and adequate personnel, adding that they would be commissioned within the next 18 months.