Perm Sec Dodges House Committee Over Missing $300m Malaria Fund

Is it true that a Nigerian permanent secretary has been dodging a House of Representatives Committee summons over alleged missing $300m malaria fund?

Well, that it the allegation on ground, levied by Hon Amobi Ogah, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Malaria, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.

Averring that the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Daju Kachollom, has been dodging the House’s summon, he has now invoked legislative powers available to him.

It is in the form of orders for the minister and the permanent secretary to appear before the committee within the next 72 hours.

It is to answer questions on alleged missing $300m malaria fund.

An obviously angry Ogah complained that the Permanent Secretary had ignored three other previous invitations and should expect reactions should she ignore the current one.

“Most times, the civil servants are our problem. This money has been made available since 2021. We have been inviting the Permanent Secretary. This is the third time we have invited her to come and explain to us what has happened.”

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“Have they used the money? If they have not used the money, where is the money?

“It is a matter of simple explanation.

“But they have been running away, calling all manner of people to talk to us.

“But we are here to defend Nigerians. We were elected to represent our people.

“Nigerians cannot continue to die of malaria, even when the government has made every necessary effort to see that eradication is being achieved by 2030.

“The National Assembly will no longer tolerate the attitude of civil servants taking parliament for a ride. Enough is enough.

“We are elected by our people to represent them. We are elected to talk for them and defend them. And we are talking about a disease that has turned to an epidemic.

“We will not hesitate to invoke our constitutional right to compel the Permanent Secretary to be arrested if she fails to honour the summons.

The issue of the alleged missing $300m malaria fund is particularly troubling because the money was borrowed from financial institution, amidst reallsations that malaria and tuberculosis remain damning diseases in the country.

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Besides, a weighty allegations against the pubic officers, is alleged denial of the right of local manufacturers to participate in the procurement of needed materials where they have the capacity.

This is in the sense that Nigerian firms which produce insecticidal nets were not allowed to participate in their procurement.

“Nigeria borrowed $100m from the Islamic Bank, which was approved by the National Assembly in 2021.

“Out of the $100m, $10m was granted, and another $200m borrowed from World Bank in the same year for Impact Project (Malaria Financing Agreement), making it a total of $300m

“The resolution by the National Assembly is that local content must be prioritised to encourage local manufacturers, but the ministry went ahead to contract the United Nations Office for Project Services  to do the procurement process at a cost of over $3m for the purchase of anti-malaria commodities.”, said Ogah .

In the course of reading the committee’s report on the matter, Oga who represents the Isuikwato/Umuneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State, in the Green Chamber, expressed his displeasure and that of the house at the alleged misuse bf the borrowed $300m malaria fund.