The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives, currently investigating the alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds from 2020 to 2022, grilled Chief Medical Directors of the nation’s Federal Medical Centres and Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospitals on Thursday over several billions of Naira allocated to their Institutions
During the exercise that lasted several hours, the Committee chaired by Rep Bamidele Salam uncovered several infractions in their presentations, which the Committee insisted must be sorted out to justify the judicious utilisation of the amounts allocated to them during the emergency period
Consequently, the Committee discharged the CMDs with a strict directive to them to go back and reappear before it with perfect submissions to be accompanied by valid and relevant documents, which would attract appropriate sanctions
The Chairman of the Committee, Rep Bamidele Salam, reiterated that the Committee would not delay tactics from the MDAs and it has a time frame within which to conclude its assignment
The affected Federal Health Institutions are: Federal Medical Centre Asaba, Delta State N47.67bn, National Hospital Abuja N47.67bn, Federal Medical Centre Jalingo, Taraba State N47.67bn, Federal Medical Centre Birini Kudu, Jigawa State N47.67bn, Federal Medical Centre Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, N47.67bn, Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, Lagos State, N47.67bn
Others which also took the same allocation of N47.67bn are the Federal Medical Centre Yola, Adamawa State, Federal Medical Centre Azare, Baluchi State, Federal Medical Centre Kebbi State, National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala Kano State, National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu State, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Enugu State, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Kaduna State, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Cross River State, and Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Maiduguri, Borno State
Others that had earlier appealed before the Committee are the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, Kogi State; the Federal Medical Centre Asaba, Delta State; the National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna; and the National Eye Centre, also based in Kaduna.
However, the Committee cleared the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, of all allegations, having proved that it judiciously used the money allocated to it for COVID-19 intervention.
The FMC Lokoja and Asaba were not lucky, as the presentation of conflicting figures and inability to explain certain violations of existing laws saw them
At the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Dr Olatunde Oladeji Alabi came under heat when the committee noted that there were a lot of gaps in his presentations
Speaking on the development, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, said, “Apparently, the Medical Director, there are a lot of gaps in your presentation, some of which you agreed with.
And they are very fundamental because some of the things we want to achieve with this investigation are to ensure that we have value for money.
“If you look at it, the medical centres have the same practice they are executing, and it is the same standard cost. It is a standard practice in medical practice that allows this. But the medical centres are not of the same size and capacity.
“So, we need to be sure that these items are procured using the best standard of pricing. And the contracts are executed to specification. So, I will be setting up a sub-committee of this committee to pay a visit to your institution.”
However, the duo of Dr Mustapha Abubakar, the Medical Director of National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna and that of FMC Asaba, Dr Victor Azubuike, were referred to a sub-committee of the committee to reconcile their figures as well as harmonise their presentations, having noticed that their oral presentations differed significantly from the documented submissions they earlier made to the committee
The probe, which was still in progress as of press time, is to continue on Friday.
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