The Senate has accused some officials of the Ministry of Health of mismanaging donor funds from an international agency to the country to the tune of N5.7 billion.
The Senate alleged that the mismanagement forced some of the international donors to suspend the assistance rendered to Nigeria as a result of the unsatisfactory report they got from the ministry.
Speaking, the chairman of the senate public account committee, Senator Matthew Urhogbide said he was disappointed in the Permanent Secretary of the ministry adding they have caused the country a huge blow.
He added that four invitations have been sent to the ministry and none was honoured, saying, “The first letter dated February 1 and meeting scheduled for February 8 and March 16, 2022, were ignored.”
One of the donor agencies is Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), an international NGO specialising in bringing together public and private sectors with the objective of creating equal access to new and under-used vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.
The chairman, while reacting to the failure of the ministry to give an account of the money spent said that the committee is left with no other option than to issue a warrant of arrest for the ministry officials to come and give an explanation.
He said, “The Ministry of Health has consistently refused to come and give an account before this Committee. We have sent invitations to them to appear with no response from the Ministry. This is very unfortunate.”
The query reads, “First in 2015, by a donor named Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), an international NGO specialising in bringing together public and private sectors with the objective of creating equal access to new and under-used vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.
The NGO, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, accused NPHCDA of mismanagement of funds released by the organisation and invited my office to observe the appointment of an audit firm to carry out an extended cash programme audit of GAVI funds released to NPHCDA from 2010 to 2015.
Non-adherence to laid down procedures stipulated in the public procurement Act, 2007, in the procurement of goods, services and works valued at N4,987,958,621.00.
Written by Adekunle Biodun