By Laraba MUREY
The ongoing battle for the soul of Garki Hospital is having serious effect on the over 900 staff of the hospital, due to the series of back and forth following the expiration of the Public-Private Partnership arrangement between Nisa Premier Hospital Limited and the FCT administration.
The staff are confused as to what group has claims over the hospital, especially as the management of Nisa Premier Hospital Limited, had gotten an interim injunction restraining the FCTA from taking over the facility.
Though medical services were fully operational when our correspondent visited the hospital, weekend, some of the staff who spoke to our correspondent, on the condition of anonymity, said they are uncertain about the future of their jobs as they could not say who the current managers of the facility was.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration had on March 1, 2022, notified the hospital management to vacate and hand over the facility back by April 1, 2022 following the expiration of the 15-years concession agreement between both parties.
However, an FCT High Court, last Wednesday, barred the administration or any of its representative from taking over the hospital which is currently under the supervision of Nisa Premier Hospital Limited.
Justice Charles Agbaza gave the order of interim injunction following a motion ex parte filed by Nisa Premier Hospital Limited which has been running the hospital for the last 15 years.
The court order was given after hearing a motion filed on behalf of Nisa Premier Hospital by Bola Olotu, SAN, and considering a 35-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Dr Adamu Onu.
In the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/954/2022, the applicant sought an order of injunction restraining the FCT minister and the FCTA or their agents from implementing their March 1, 2022 letter on the concession agreement between the FCTA and Nisa Premier on the custody of Garki General Hospital pending the determination of the motion on notice.
The court, therefore, restrained “the defendants or their agents, privies representatives, servants or anyone whosoever acting on their behalf or instruction (s), from taking custody of Garki hospital Abuja and or from implementing, effecting or actualizing or giving any effect, implementation or actualization however to their 1st March 2022 letter or taking any action or steps (s) whatsoever as contained or expressed in their 1st March, 2022 letter to the claimant/applicant on the concession agreement and the taking custody of Garki Hospital Abuja, pending the determination of the motion on notice.”
The court then fixed April 6, 2022, for hearing after the expiration of the initial order.
The FCTA and Nisa Premier had entered into a concession agreement for Public Private Partnership in 2007 for a period of 15 years which expired in March 2022.
The FCTA had moved to bring the concession to an end, a move which many fear could cause hundreds to lose their jobs.
However, the FCTA in a statement last Thursday, said it had no plans to shut down the hospital.
FCT minister, Muhammad Bello, stated this when he received the FCT branch of the Nigeria Medical Association led by its chairman, Dr. Enema Amodu, who paid him a courtesy visit.
The minister explained that the concession agreement had an expiration date as assented to by both parties. He therefore dismissed fears that the end of the concession agreement would lead to job losses.
The statement signed by the minister’s Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, reads in part, “The situation is that an agreement was entered 15 years ago and mutually accepted by the FCT Administration and the Nisa Medical Group. It was an agreement that has a commencement date and an expiration date.
“So, by virtue of the agreement, it is supposed to expire on Thursday, March 31, 2022, a natural termination. So, it’s not the FCT terminating the agreement. That’s what we need to understand,” he said.
