N3,2 billion for State House Clinic to make it centre of excellence

– The Permanent Secretary attached to the State House, Jalal Arabi, commented on the controversial allocation to the State House Medical Centre
–  N3,8 billion allocation is intended to transform the clinic into a centre of excellence
– Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, said the figure should be checked to exclude its falsification
The news about a N3.87billion allocation to capital projects at the State House Clinic in Aso Rock, Abuja, have been harshly criticised by Nigerians and several media resources. It was alleged that the medical center is exclusively used by the Presidency, their families and few privileged officials.

However, trying to justify the controversial allocation, the Permanent Secretary attached to the State House, Jalal Arabi, said that the decision was predominantly made based on the presidency’s desire to turn the hospital into “a centre of excellence.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, dissociated himself from the allocation and suggested to check out the figures to ensure its genuineness: “The State House Clinic is not under the Ministry of Health. I hope it’s not the same rats that changed things in our budget that changed it. 

The amount is meant for procurement and purchase of medical equipment. It is very important that you engage them because what happened to us might have also happened to them. It is possible that what is there might not have been what they put there.”
It would be recalled that contrary to various reports, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, explained that “the clinic is not the President’s or anyone’s personal clinic but one which looks after government officials and others.”
He also argued that the teaching hospitals have more than 50 percent of the allocation for health sector. The permanent secretary for the presidency has denied allegations that clinic allocation was forged, confirming that the N3.2billion vote was deliberate.