The proposed Gombe State School of Nursing and Midwifery situated in Dukku LGA of the State has been converted into a campus of the Gombe State University (GSU).
Contract for the building of the school of Nursing was awarded by the immediate past administration of Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo in 2013 with 70% payment and work delivered by the contractor but abandoned many years ago.
However, the overseeing Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr. Meshach Audu Lauco, while briefing newsmen shortly after the State Executive Council Meeting said the school of Nursing and Midwifery Dukku did not exist in the first instance.
He said, council in it’s wisdom felt the need to decongest the current campus of the GSU in Gombe, the State Capital by converting the long abandoned school of Nursing project in Dukku to a campus of the GSU.
Lauco, who is the Commissioner for Higher Education, explained that the conversion was prompted by the fact that the Dukku structure did not meet certain criteria, more so that the school did not have the backing of a law establishing it.
He explained further that the council has now reviewed the Dukku project adding that, “in order to facilitate that as a true campus of the Gombe State University, council decided to award and approve a revised contract sum of 3 billion, 280 million, 214 thousand 180.48 naira.
“This means the only addition that this government is making in order to have that project completed and put into use, is 837 million, 318 thousand, 402.62 naira for the completion of that project, within a period of 16 weeks,” Mr. Lauco said.
Highlighting details of the contract, the Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Idris Abdullahi, said the initial contract sum was ₦2, 442, 895, 777, 86 kobo.
According to him, because of the time difference and cost of materials then and now, the contractor brought a bill of 885 million, 878 thousand, 841 naira 80 kobo, which the ministry analyzed and made savings of N18, 560, 439.18m
He said when completed, the reviewed contract would be ₦3, 280, 214, 180. 48 kobo.