No regrets approving N21 billion for Aso Rock Hospital -Gbajabiamila

By Egena Sunday Ode

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gajabiamila, has justified the approval of N21 billion for Aso Rock Hospital, saying that the money has been judiciously spent.
Gbajabiamila who was speaker of the House of Representatives when the whopping sum was appropriated for the hospital project described the facility as world class standard, saying the job done so far was impressive.
The CoS spoke with newsmen after a tour of the medical facility located inside the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Recall that the hospital built at the twilight of the Mohammadu Buhari stirred controversy of national dimension, with many describing it as a white elephant project.
Other were simply uncomfortable with the amount if money involved, arguing that the money should have been channeled to primary and secondary heathcare facilities across the country to cater for a greater number of citizens.
Fielding questions from newsmen after inspecting the facility on Monday, he said:
“First of all, like you rightly said, there’s been a lot of talk about this clinic, not just today, even when I was in the National Assembly as Speaker and so I thought, having been here a few months, let’s have a look and see exactly what is going on.
“I have seen, I am very impressed and I’m sure you are as well because you went around with me. This is a clinic like anywhere in the world, you will find, the standard is very high. The equipment is of world class. From my understanding, there’s some equipment that you wouldn’t even find in too many places all over the world.
“So as far as clinics go, in terms of equipment, in terms of what they can do, in terms of, I mean, I’ve just been lectured about kidney transplant now from one from one of the best… There’s a Cath. Lab. that’s world class and so many other things. There’s an equipment they called C-ARM, this gladdens my heart that at least when we were appropriating money in the House of Representatives as Speaker, I can see where the money has gone to
“So it’s for them to dot the I’s and cross the T’s and put finishing touches and I think we’ll be proud to say that we have a clinic of international standard like this one.”