Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,197,431 members, 7,964,763 topics. Date: Wednesday, 02 October 2024 at 08:01 PM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Health / Health Ministry Diverts N1.9b Ebola Relieve Fund (696 Views)
Ebola: NSA Warned Health Ministry Before Sawyer’s Visit / No Nigerian Infected With Ebola Virus - Health Ministry / Health Ministry Considers Compulsory Breastfeeding Bill (2) (3) (4)
(1) (Reply)
Health Ministry Diverts N1.9b Ebola Relieve Fund by msmon(m): 4:54am On Sep 21, 2014 |
By Onche Odeh (Lagos), Hassan Zaggi (Abuja) and Dan Abia (P/Harcourt) The N1.9 billion announce by President Goodluck Jonathan as special intervention Fund to curb the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Decease in Nigeria continues to generate controversies, following insinuations that the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) may have diverted it to other uses. In August, when the president announced approval for the fund, he was emphatic about its use. In a statement by Jonathan’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, it was clearly stated that the fund is to strengthen efforts to contain the virus, including the establishment of additional isolation centres, case management, contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and the procurement of required items and facilities, among others. This generated so much applause for the president who was hailed for taking the right decision at the right time. But, recent information from the FMOH showed that the fund would be used, within the next few weeks, to acquire equipment for tertiary hospitals. This is happening at a time when other revelations have suggested the contrary. Sunday Independent was reliably informed that the federal ministry officials at a meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Ebola in Geneva, a fortnight ago, in a presentation showed how the N1.9b was spent, a situation that aroused the curiosity of Nigerians representing other institutions at the meeting. “What we hear is that the fund was yet to be released. But at a meeting in Geneva, there was a presentation by a representative of the Nigerian government, in which a slide showed how the N1.9b was spent,” our source said. Meanwhile, a reliable source at the health ministry in Abuja anonymously told Sunday Independent, in Abuja that the ministry has since placed order for the equipment. Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Linus Awute, also made clarifications on this at a meeting with heads of tertiary hospitals in the country in Abuja, on Wednesday. Awute explained that the fund was the capital budget submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan which was approved, leading to the release of N1.9 billion which was meant to purchase equipments for decontamination, PPEs and vehicles. Few weeks ago, the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said: “We did say that the N1.9billion that the President approved was for the Federal Ministry of Health; those ones that the Federal Ministry of Health should champion. That fund was provided based on the budget that the Federal Ministry of Health submitted to Mr. President. It was not termed an Ebola Fund.” Emphasising this, the minister said, “I repeat, because now I hear that in some places, even village heads are asking for their own share. Nigeria is always thinking of sharing money. It is money for the Federal Ministry of Health to use in working. They are going to use it to procure more vehicles; which have already been ordered. “It is a budget for the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies as submitted by the Federal Ministry of Health to Mr. President. “What I am saying is that there will still be other funds that will still be released in various ways depending on what any of the cognate agencies is requesting from Mr. President that must be done.” In a sharp response to this, President, National Union of Allied Health Professionals, Felix Faniran, said the sudden change in what the Fund is to be used for, shows lack of transparency. Faniran, however, said using the money to strengthen the health system, if Nigeria successfully contains the current Ebola outbreak is a welcome idea, but only if it would be judiciously used. He said: “When Mr President announced the fund, the public believed it was meant to address the Ebola virus disease. It would have been better used for that purpose in order to increase awareness on the killer disease and adopt further measures to prevent the disease from gaining secondary entry into the country.” Faniran who is also the Vice President of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), further said, “however, if the money is to be diverted to Health System Equipment based on the current situation that Ebola disease has been successfully contained, one would not unduly frown on the idea, provided the fund is truly spent to procure high quality, durable and necessary equipment.” Meanwhile, Lagos and Rivers, two states hit by the current outbreak, have confirmed receipt of N200 million assistance each from the FG to fight the Ebola outbreak. As at Thursday Lagos State announced that, of the 366 persons that were initially followed, there are no more persons to follow up on, bringing hope of a successful containment. In Rivers, the Commissioner for Health, Sampson Parker, disclosed on Wednesday that there were 340 Ebola Virus disease (EVD) cases under surveillance in the state. dailyindependentnig.com/2014/09/health-ministry-diverts-n1-9b-ebola-fund/ |
Re: Health Ministry Diverts N1.9b Ebola Relieve Fund by alentyno: 5:07am On Sep 21, 2014 |
Smh if the love between married couples were as strong as the love between naija and corruption, experts in divorce would have ran out of clients. |
(1) (Reply)
Why Is Our Happiness And Emotional Health Influenced So Much Through Technology? / Man Has Eel-like Creature Removed From His… WHAT?! / Diet Vs Detox
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 16 |