Prof Ivara Essien, NAUTH Board Chairman Appeals To FG For N2.5 Billion Take Off Grant

                                               

The Management Board of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi has said that one of the major things it would want to achieve is the movement of some of the institution departments to its permanent site located between Ozoubulu and Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.

This was disclosed by the Chairman of the board Prof. Ivara Essien in an interview with newsmen shortly after the Maiden Convocation ceremony of the Institutions School of Nursing.

The Board has therefore; appealed to the Federal Government to release the institutions “Take off Grant” which was never released to the institution, just as to release the sum of N2.5 billion naira to enable it carry out some of the projects it wants to complete for simultaneous movement to the permanent site.

“We are continuing our request and pressure on the Federal Government at least to release the Take off Grant which was never released to the institution to enable us accelerate the pace of development in the institution for its movement to the permanent site” said Prof. Essien.

“The board need at least the sum of N2.5 billion naira to start the major works it needs to do in the institution, that the sum cannot finish the projects that need to be carried out there, but at least to achieve something meaningful there” said Prof. Essien.

Prof. Essien, a former Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar and now currently a member of the ongoing National Conference in Abuja, said the board in its determination to ensure movement to the permanent site of the institution has prioritized the project that they can do with the money that are coming into the institution through the normal budgetary processes, to channel those resources to the basic and necessary projects at least to move some departments to the permanent site.

Some of the department the board said it has prioritize and is working relentlessly to move to the permanent site while working on others are, General administration, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Accidents and Emergency departments and others essential departments that will assist them.

He said the “board is trying to complete the fencing of the land to avoid encroachment as was done by people and communities before his administration, just as it is building the gates, the major gate house, the roads that will lead from one department to the others and other projects to ensure that the movement becomes successful.

He said the board is discussing with various town unions where the institution is located to appeal to their sons and daughters to see the need to invest in the institution infrastructural development that will be named after them.

Addressing the nurses and the graduands during the occasion which acted as the chairman, he said that henceforth, promotion of staff of the institution no more be based on examinations but on practical performance of the staff in their respective works.         

From Chimaobi Nwaiwu