By Umar Akilu Majeri, Dutse
The Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi has laid a foundation stone for the construction of a permanent site for the Jigawa State College of Nursing and Midwives, Hadejia.
At the same time, Namadi launched the distribution of agricultural input and assets to farmers on NG Cares with a view to support the farmers and the vulnerable in the state.
The college which was in existence and established by the then Kano State Governor, Alh Audi Bako, as College of Clinical Assistance initially to produce medical staff in the then old Kano State was later promoted as College of Nursing and midwifery in 2017 by the former governor of Jigawa state, Alh Badaru Abubakar, though there was no permanent site.
The present administration, under the leadership of Malam Umar Namadi Dan, has observed that it is good for the state to improve the school and provide all the necessary facilities for the college and school because the cardinal objective of establishing the college is to provide health care service training to all the staff working in health facilities.
The Governor noted that the Jigawa State government established the college of Nursing and midwifery in Hadejia to ensure that health care services are adequately provided to the people in the state.
Namadi said the first phase of the construction project along Nguru Hadejia Expressway will consume N3 billion, while the second phase will be N2.5 billion respectively.
He explained further that a total of N5.5 billion has been earmarked to be expanded for completion of standard schools of Nursing and midwifery in Hadejia.
“We are determined to accomplish our desire by providing healthcare facilities at each of the political wards,” he stated.
“We observed that some of the equipment in Hadejia special hospital has not been installed, therefore, I urged the State Ministry of Health to take drastic measures on the issue,” he stated.
The Governor charged the State Ministry of Health to take action and make sure that Hadejia specialist hospital is in full operation before the end of this year.
Namadi added that the Jigawa state government has provided a conducive environment to all health training institutions with a view to have adequate manpower in all health facilities across the state.
He added that 288 midwives and nurses have been engaged to work in some of the hospitals, wherein 1,000 healthcare workers have been recruited and additional 1,000 healthcare workers will be recruited to work across the 27 local government areas in the state.
The Governor then called on the contractor for speedy completion of the work within a stipulated period.
He then warned the health workers in the state to ensure efficient services are being provided to people in the state, as the government will no longer tolerate truancy to duty
In another development, the state Government has selected two disbursement link indicators, DLIs, to be implemented under Result area 2 namely, DLI 2.1 Agricultural input and services and DLIs 2.3 Agricultural asset.
A total of 10,100 people were selected for the two DLIs under DLI2.1 agric input and services, which has a total of 4,530 beneficiaries who were selected including rice farmers where 650 people benefited.
Other beneficiaries are 650 people who benefited with maize, and 1450 who benefited with millet,1,250 benefited with sorghum and 530 people recieved day old chicks.
While for the DLI 2.3 a total of 5,570 beneficiaries were selected, including 2,000 goat beneficiaries and 400 sheep beneficiaries, and 500 local chicks and 200 small scale processing machines with 1,700 farmers who received water pump machines.
Others include 270 women who received spaghetti machines, and 170 who received drilling machines, and 270 beneficiaries who received incubator machines and 100 people received apiculture machines.
All this was contained at the official launch for the distribution of agricultural input and assets to poor and vulnerable individuals under the NG Cares programme known as J CAREs, which is supported by the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria.
According the Jigawa State Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Babangida Umar Gantsa, the World Bank has provided a facility of $720 million through the Federal Government which is to be shared among the 36 states of the federation to implement social protection programme, SPP, being an emergency programme requires rapid response implementing teams, as well as, deep commitment and professionalism of the staff as a major element of success for the implementation of NG Cares.