The Federal Medical Center, FMC Mubi, in the state of Adamawa, has been given the president’s approval.

The journey started with a bill that was earlier introduced by Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, a.k.a. Binani, the APC candidate for governor of Adamawa state, whom President Muhammadu Buhari referred to as the governor-in-waiting. Sen. Dahiru Ahmed represents Adamawa Central.

In a letter dated December 1, 2022, and signed by Ojo Olatunde Amos, Clerk to the National Assembly, to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the following was said about the registration of the Act of the National Assembly of the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Mubi:

(ESTABLISHMENT) BILL, 2022 has been signed into law by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Accordingly, the original copy of the Act is hereby sent to you for enrolment in your records and retention of same.

Accept my highest regards, please.

Remember that in May, President Muhammadu Buhari changed the name of the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Yola in Adamawa to the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital?

This was said by Mr. Boss Mustapha, who is the Secretary of the SGF, in a statement by Mr. Willie Bassey, who is the Director of Information for the SGF.

Mustapha says that the permission was given because the public and the Adamawa State Government wanted the FMC Yola to become the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital.

The new plan will help medical students learn more and make it easier for the state to provide health care.

Binani saw how important it was to keep a Federal Medical Center in the state after she pushed for FMC Yola to become a teaching hospital. This was made possible by the bill she sponsored and the work of well-meaning Adamawa State residents. As the proposed teaching hospital would be in Adamawa Central, the amazing amazon supported by sponsoring a bill for the establishment of the new FMC in the second-largest local government area of the state; Mubi North located thus giving birth to the FMC Mubi.

During the debate, Biobarakuma Wangagha Degi Eremienyo, who represents the Bayelsa East Senatorial District, backed Binani’s bill and praised her for sponsoring it after she saw how good it was.

“I rise to speak in support of this bill for the establishment of Federal Medical Centre in Mubi of Adamawa

“Mr. President, I like to commend the sponsor of this very important bill, important, in the sense that it has to do with the health of our people.

“Mr. President, it is always said that health is wealth, and it is a statement of fact…” Senator Eremienyo remarked.

Read Below is Binani’s Bill for the establishment of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Mubi:

Thank you, Mr. President, and my distinguished colleagues!

Aishatu Dahiru Binani, representing Adamawa Central.

Mr. President, my distinguished colleagues!

I count this moment a privilege and a great honor to lead the debate on the general principle of the bill for an act to establish the Federal Medical Centre Mubi, Adamawa state.

Mr. President, my distinguished colleagues! Mubi is one of the oldest Nigerian towns.

Mubi is the capital of Mubi North local government area of Adamawa state with a total landmass, according to the International Journal of Development and Sustainability 2014, of 506.4 Kilometers square and a population size of about 759,045 people.

It is a distance of 192.46 kilometers square to Yola and 257.21 kilometers square to Maiduguri by road, which sometimes is inaccessible due to security challenges in the area.

Mubi existed long before the advent of German forces in 1903 and served as a frontier post and administrative center of the Germans until it was recaptured by the British in 1914 at the onset of World War I.

It was one of the 13 provinces of old northern Nigeria and the headquarters of Sardauna province. Mubi has always been an elevated and strategic area for successive governments.

It is a neighbor to 9 local government areas, namely; Madagali with a population of 135.142 and a distance to Mubi of 99.81 kilometers. Michika with a population of 152,238 and a distance to Mubi of 52 kilometers. Mubi South with a population of 129,956 and a distance to Mubi of 15.3 kilometers. Maiha with a population of 110,175 and a distance to Mubi of 34.6 kilometers. Hong with a population of 169.183 and a distance to Mubi of 45.6 kilometers. Gombe with a population of 147.787 and a distance to Mubi of 73.1 kilometers. Gwoza, though in Borno state, is nearer to Mubi with a population of 276.568 and a distance to Mubi of 126.1 kilometers. Chibok, though in Borno state, it is nearer to Mubi with a population of 66,333 and a distance to Mubi of 111 kilometers. Uba Askira, though in Borno state, is nearer to Mubi with a population of 143,313 and a distance to Mubi of 57 kilometers.

Total population of about 1,330,495. This together with the population of Mubi North, makes it 2,098,540 people, very much higher than Bayelsa state’s 8 local government areas with a population of 1,704,515.

Nonetheless, this historic town has suffered from government neglect in terms of federal presence, especially in the area of tertiary healthcare delivery.

A 2020 multi-sector needs assessment on Health Living Standard gaps of accessibility, availability, quality, use, and awareness of Mubi people, funded by European Union Humanitarian Aid, revealed that:

• 24% of households lived below healthy living standards out of which 1% is extreme and 23% severe.
• 8% of residents need more than a 1-hour walk to access healthcare.
• The health living standard gaps of Mubi South and Mubi North local governments are 55% high compared to Lamurde, which is 9%, Shelleng at 11%, and Maiha at 9%, for 29% of households have low health living standard vulnerability; about 24% of the residents who are 60 years old and above, have mental or physical disabilities or chronic illnesses.
• 7% of residents will not seek treatment with a formal health facility provided, due to the problems of accessibility, overcrowding, awareness, and affordability.

Therefore, it is abundantly clear and socially necessary that Mubi should be given a federal medical center to:

• Bridge the health living standard gaps enumerated above.
• Tackle the problem of overcrowding of primary and secondary healthcare services.
• Provide the much-needed tertiary healthcare in Mubi; reduce the accessibility problem and create awareness of such a healthcare institution and many more.

The provision of a medical center in Mubi will come at a very low cost to the government since the existing general hospital has the necessary requirement to be upgraded to a Federal Medical Centre.

The general hospital in Mubi has a principal medical officer as the head of the hospital, 250 beds, which is sufficient to start the hospital; only six qualified doctors, 100 nurses, two laboratories, and 14 departments.

Mr. President, my dear distinguished colleagues, I therefore urge and plead to all of you to support this Bill wholly and wholeheartedly like you always do.

Thank you very much.