SERAP Tells Federal Government To Probe Missing ₦3.8bn In Health Ministry, NAFDAC And Others

 

Financial Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has encouraged President Muhammadu Buhari "to coordinate the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, and suitable enemy of debasement offices to test claims that N3,836,685,213.13 of public assets implied for the Federal Ministry of Health, showing clinics, clinical focuses, and National Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) are missing, fumbled, redirected or taken." 

The association said the charges are recorded in Part 1 of the 2018 reviewed report delivered a week ago by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. 

The association is likewise asking him to "expeditiously research the degree and examples of boundless defilement in the Federal Ministry of Health, showing emergency clinics, clinical focuses, neuro-mental emergency clinics, National Health Insurance Scheme, and NAFDAC arraigned in the inspected report, and to tidy up a clearly settled in arrangement of debasement in the wellbeing area." 

In the letter dated 2 January 2021 and endorsed by SERAP delegate chief Kolawole Oluwadare, the association stated: "Defilement in the wellbeing area can make genuine mischief people and society, particularly the most weak areas of the populace. These missing assets might have been utilized to give admittance to quality medical services to Nigerians, and meet the necessities of the National Health Act, particularly during a period of the COVID-19 pandemic." 

As per SERAP, "The Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja spent without endorsement N13,910,000.00 to sort out a 2-day Training and Bilateral conversation with Chief Medical Directors and Chairmen Medical Advisory Council and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to get ready 2019 Personnel Budget. ₦4,860,000.00 was initially planned for the program." 

SERAP stated: "The National Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) paid N48,885,845.00 for administrations not delivered and merchandise not provided. As per the Auditor-General, NAFDAC utilized phony and imaginary receipts for these installments. NAFDAC additionally paid N25,734,018.49 to organizations/firms who were never granted any agreements and never executed them." 

The letter, read to a limited extent: "Examining and arraigning the charges of defilement by these establishments would improve the odds of achievement of your administration's frequently rehashed obligation to battle debasement and end the exemption of culprits, just as serve the public interest." 

"Any inability to instantly research the claims and indict suspected culprits, and to recuperate the missing public assets would break Nigeria's enemy of debasement enactment, the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as revised), the UN Convention against Corruption, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which Nigeria is a state party." 

"Essentially, the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Management Board Aro-Abeokuta, Ogun State neglected to represent N28,662,265.32, which was to be utilized to secure medications, inserts, and different contributions, as endorsed by the Federal Government. The Auditor-General needs the cash got back to the depository." 

"The National Health Insurance Scheme burned through N355,510,475.00 on undertakings somewhere in the range of 2016 and 2017 without allocation. The Scheme likewise burned through N32,299,700.00 to give 'monetary clinical help' to people who have not been enlisted into the plan (NHIS)." 

"The Scheme additionally burned through N72,383,000.00 on confirmation practice with no supporting reports. The Scheme granted agreements of N66,798,948.12 to individuals from staff for obtainments, rather than making the acquirement through honor of agreements." 

"The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Enugu, Enugu State paid N5,200,000.00 as compensation advance to the Medical Director. Notwithstanding, the Medical Director was neither continuing on exchange, on posting nor on first arrangement to fit the bill for compensation advance. The Auditor-General is requesting that the Medical Director discount the cash gathered. Another N3,387,139.00 is supposed to be missing however the Hospital the executives has neglected to report the case, or recuperate the cash." 

"The Irreal Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua Edo State paid N58,829,426.84 to two temporary workers for provisions and establishments however without installment vouchers." 

"Additionally, Jos University Teaching Hospital Jos, Plateau State neglected to transmit N333,386,549.15 being 25% of its inside created income of N1,333,546,196.60 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The Hospital likewise neglected to represent N8,572,777.25." 

"The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, neglected to dispatch ₦945,422,478.23 to proper assessment authority. The Hospital likewise neglected to dispatch ₦237,007,828.05 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and neglected to transmit ₦22,307,735.21 being denying charge deducted of agreements in 2018." 

"The Federal Medical Center, Owerri, Imo State likewise neglected to dispatch ₦8,519,506.75 being 25% of its inside created income to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The Medical Center likewise burned through ₦542,877,312.77 as staff cost somewhere in the range of 2015 and 2016 rather than ₦12,761,350,337.00 appropriated for a similar period. 

"The Medical Center neglected to represent ₦898,076,719.14 of its inside produced income, and neglected to represent ₦23,598,074.38 of faculty cost. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja spent without endorsement N19,564,429.91 as estacode recompense to different staff of the Agency." 

"The Federal School of Occupational Therapy, Oshodi, Lagos neglected to transmit ₦3,250,962.98 of its inside produced income for 2018 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The School likewise neglected to dispatch N4,018,252.81 being reserves deducted from different agreements. It burned through ₦10,507,393.00 with no assignment or endorsement." 

"The Federal Medical Center, Keffi Nasarawa State neglected to transmit N2,147,036.00 of its inside created income to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. It likewise neglected to dispatch N5,810,438.05 to the Federal Inland Revenue Service." 

"The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria neglected to dispatch N68,604,040.68 of its inside produced income to the Consolidated Revenue Fund." 

"Claims of debasement in the wellbeing area subvert public trust in the area, and discourage the fulfillment of responsibilities made through Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 16 to make powerful and responsible organizations. The claims likewise show that Nigeria is neglecting to satisfy the commitments to utilize its most extreme accessible assets to continuously acknowledge and accomplish fundamental medical care administrations for Nigerians." 

"We would be appreciative if your administration would demonstrate the measures being taken to deliver the charges and to actualize the proposed suggestions, inside 14 days of the receipt as well as distribution of this letter." 

"On the off chance that we have not gotten with you by, at that point concerning the means being taken toward this path, the Registered Trustees of SERAP will make all proper legitimate moves to urge your administration to actualize these proposals in the public interest, and to advance straightforwardness and responsibility in the wellbeing area." 

The letter is replicated to Mr Abubakar Malami, Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, and Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC).