What happened to about $4.6bn health grants from international donours Nigeria received to help its fight against killer diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDs?
This is the big question that the House of Representatives is resolved to answer.
The house has resumed its investigative hearing into the health grants as received from international donors between 2021 and 2025.
Chairman of the House Committee on Infectious Diseases, Amobi Godwin Ogah, who presided over the session in Abuja on Wednesday, said the probe was aimed at ensuring that donor funds had been judiciously utilised.
Transparency and judicious application, he stated, would restore the confidence of the donours, and also help in realising key projects in the country.
Over $1.8 billion came from the Global Fund and $2.8 billion from USAID with the chairman stating that the probe was not person-targeted.
“This is not a witch-hunt or vendetta. It is borne out of the desire to ensure transparency, accountability, and that whatever grants we receive are properly utilised,” he said.
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Providing a background to the probe of the health grants, he said the House had, in October of last year, mandated the committee to probe the funds.
The National Assembly, he also promised, would henceforth be more diligent overnighting projects of the nature, to ensure due process and accountability.
“We expect quarterly reports from all recipients and sub-recipients, as well as key implementing partners, to ensure proper monitoring and accountability”, he said adding that without that, the country might miss out on its 2030 targets.
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