The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the allegations that the N3,836,685,213.13 of public funds meant for the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, was mismanaged and stolen, .
SERAP in a statement issued on Sunday, by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged the President to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to commence an investigation into the alleged stolen funds.
According to SERAP, the allegations are documented in Part 1 of the 2018 audited report released last week, by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, AuGF.
The statement reads in part: “SERAP also urges you to investigate the patterns of widespread corruption in the health ministry, teaching hospitals, medical centres, and NAFDAC, and to clean up an apparently entrenched system of corruption in the health sector.
“Corruption in the Health sector can cause serious harm to individuals and society, especially the most vulnerable sectors of the population.
“These missing funds could have been used to provide access to quality healthcare for Nigerians and meet the requirements of the National Health Act, especially at a time of the whole world is battling the dreaded coronavirus pandemic.
“However, we would like to state that the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, spent N13,910,000.00 to organize a 2-day training without approval.
“According to the Auditor-General, NAFDAC used fake receipts for the payment of N48,885,845.00 for services not rendered and goods not supplied.
“Also, the audit also showed that NAFDAC paid N25,734,018.49 to companies who were never awarded any contracts or ever executed the ones awarded to them.”
“The Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Management Board Aro-Abeokuta, Ogun State failed to account for N28,662,265.32, which was to be used to procure drugs, implants, and other inputs, as approved by the Federal Government. The Auditor-General wants the money returned to the treasury.
“These allegations are documented in Part 1 of the 2018 audited report released last week by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.”
