Buhari Urged to release Funds for NPMCN’s N600m Permanent site Project

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to release funds for the construction of the permanent site of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN).

The institution’s President, Professor Rasheed Arogundade, made the call in Lagos while speaking at a pre-convocation briefing, Punch reports.

According to him, the Federal Government had failed to release the N20m earmarked for the project in the 2015 budget.

“The amount budgeted for us this year in the envelope is just N20m out of the required N506, 037, 218,75k remaining from the sum N599,964,877.89k approved by the Ministerial Tenders’ Board to complete the project,” Arogundade said.

“It is even uncertain that the paltry N20m appropriated will be released this year as we are already at the end of the third quarter.”

He said the college has produced more than 5000 fellows since its establishment, saving billions of naira that would have been spent on trainings abroad.

“The college has saved the nation billions of naira over the years, which could have been spent in training these medical specialists if they have had to be trained overseas.

“In addition, these medical and dental doctors are able to avail citizens of the country their invaluable services during their training since they do not have to leave the country.”

A total of N599,964,877 was originally budgeted for the project.

NPMCN was established by the National Postgraduate Medical College Decree in 1979, as the tertiary institution at the apex of Medical Education in Nigeria.