The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has performed the foundation laying ceremony for the construction of its National Secretariat in the eyebrow Maitama area in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area of Abuja.
Giving his opening remarks during the ceremony, the National President of the association, Professor Francis Faduyile, said the association went through hell before it could clear the legal hurdles surrounding the land where the building was being sited.
He commended members of the association, its Local Organising Committee (LOC), the Building Committee headed by Dr. Frank Odafe and other stakeholders for their resoluteness and doggedness in seeing that building the National Secretariat of the association became reality.
Faduyile, who recalled that although there was foundation laying ceremonies for the national Secretariat in the past, this will be last, stressing that the NMA will see to it that the construction of the building is completed in record period.
He commended Dutum Company Limited, the company in charge of the construction of the building, for having the technical know-how and wherewithal to execute the project.
“I am happy that today is happening. I return all glory to God that this foundation laying ceremony finally came to past. There have been series of promises and foundation laying ceremony in the past on the construction of a befitting secretariat for NMA but i can assure you this is the last.
“Today is the ground breaking, by the grace of God, none of us will die, and we shall be alive to witness the ground opening ceremony of this building in two years to come. I salute our contractor, Mr. Temitope Runsewe and his team at Dutum Construction Company Limited for their resolute to go out by all lawful means to ensure this project is completed within stipulated time” Faduyile said.
Responding on behalf of the construction company, its managing director, Mr. Tope Runsewe, thanked the leadership of the NMA for the confidence reposed in them, assuring that they would deploy all the professionalism at the company’s disposal to ensure that the building is completed in due course according to specifications.
Speaking further, Runsewe said since the existence of the company from 1989, winning the contract for the NMA’s National Secretariat was the fastest, smoothest and most transparent in terms of the procurement and other bidding processes surrounding the contract the company has ever experienced.
In his closing remarks, Secretary-General of NMA, Dr Olumuyiwa Odusote, said the association was finally determined to have a befitting building in Abuja to serve as its national secretariat after several efforts to do so fail in the past.
Meanwhile, speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the foundation laying ceremony, Runsewe said that the project will be completed in two years without delay.
Other dignitaries who attended the occasion were other officials of the association including the Chairman NMA FCT Chapter, Dr Philip Ekpe, management members of Dutum Company Limited, among others.
The NMA Secretariat is on Plot 443 Zambezi Crescent, Opposite WAEC HQ, Maitama, Abuja.