Yobe approves over N6bn for health, infrastructure

By Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu

The Yobe State Executive Council has approved a new policy requiring all public officers to be trained on public finance law and ratified over N6billion naira projects for healthcare, roads, and commerce.
Chaired by Governor Mai Mala Buni, the council made it mandatory for all newly appointed officials to receive copies of the Public Finance Management Law and its Implementation Manual upon assuming duty.
The State Commissioner of Finance, Muhammad Abatcha, explained that the law, signed in 2020, has not been widely circulated.
“It is not enough to hold an office and spend public funds without informing citizens how those funds are utilized,” Abatcha stated.
To ensure compliance, the council approved including the law in civil service examinations; “Senior officers seeking promotion will now be examined on the content of this law,” Abatcha added.
In a significant boost to healthcare, the council ratified anticipatory approvals totaling over N2.1bn for hospital upgrades and medical equipment.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Lawan Gana, announced that N1.7bn was approved for civil works at Specialist Hospitals in Buni Yadi and Damaturu, as well as the General Hospital in Nangere; to upgrade operating theatres and maternity centres to meet regulatory standards.
He said, further N473m was ratified for procuring modern medical equipment, including radio-diagnostic tools, for hospitals across the state.