Health
How NDDC shared N3.14 billion among its staff, police as COVID-19 reliefs – Report
Report on the financial expenditure by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which was submitted to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission has shown that over N3.14 billion was shared as relief funds to its over 4,000 staff and Police Commands of the nine States in the Niger Delta region.
Senator Olubunmi Adetukunmbi laid bare the report at Thursday’s public investigative hearing that got everyone stunned.
Dramatically, however, officials of the NDDC in response alleged that Chairmen of Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Niger Delta Affairs were involved in financial meddlesomeness and contracts grabbing.
They insisted that there was no missing funds in the Commission as widely believed before Senate’s moves to investigate activities of the Commission, maintaining that the current Interim Management Committee (IMC) from February 19, 2020 till date have been observing the financial rules in the agency.
Chairman of the Committee Senator Olubunmi Adetukunmbi queried the Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei Daniel to have allowed such a humongous sum of money shared to staffers of the Commission in the guise of relief for COVID-19 pandemic within a period of three months.
Senator Olubunmi Adetukumbi raised serious concern that a sum of N10 million could be given to a single staff as COVID-19 relief fund without the person testing positive to the virus.
He said : “From the financial statements or documents forwarded to this Committee from your office as regards expenditure carried out between October 29, 2019 and May 31, 2020, monies expended on COVID-19 pandemic relief are mind boggling.
“Out of the total expenditure of N81.495 billion spent by both the IMC led by Mrs Gbene Nunieh as Managing Director between October 29, 2019 and February 18, 2020 and the current IMC led by Professor Pondei between February 19, 2020 and May 31, 2020, N3.14 billiion was spent on COVID-19 pandemic as relief funds.
“Highly disturbing is the fact that based on the records of payment of such funds, a whopping N10 million was given to a single staff while two other staffers collected N7million each.
The Chairman further gave breakdown of payments pertaining to COVID-19 to several other staff as N3 million given to each of 148 other staffers , N1.5 million each to 157 other category of staffers , N1 million each to 497 others and N600,000.00 each to the last category of 464 others.
In the report, the Chairman questioned the rationale behind the sum of N475 million released to the Police High Command for purchase of face masks and hand sanitizers for men and officers across the nine states in the region
The IMC officials were further taken on their records which showed that N1.3 billion was spent on community relations, N1.956 billion for Lassa fever, N23.8 billion for Consultancy fees, N486 million for Duty Travel Allowance (DTA), as well as N85.6 million for overseas travels.
The Executive Director (Projects), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh in defense, said those expenses were done in the interest of the Commission, a position that was corroborated by the Managing Director of the NDDC.
Professor Pondei further opined that the Commission alone, has 150 policemen attached to it for security purposes aside the various Police Commands of the affected nine States in the region.
After figures of reckless expenses were reeled out, Dr. Ojougboh who tend to dominate the Defence, again, submitted that Senate Committee Chairman on Niger Delta Development Commission, Peter Nwaoboshi and his House of Representatives counterpart were was involved in financial meddlesomeness, contracts grabbing and splitting.
He accused both Chairmen of demanding for 1,000 projects out of 2,900 emergency projects the Commission planned to carry out to change the face of the Niger Delta Communities.
His words: “Aside projects grabbing, the two chairmen are holding the Commission to ransom on its 2020 budget which had been submitted since November last year but yet to see the light in July 2020.
“The NDDC has lost confidence in the two Chairmen because they were out to grab and bastardise operations of the Commission”, he pointed.”
The public investigative hearing continues on Friday with the expectation that the Minister of
Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio will be present.
On the N40 billion allegation levelled against the current IMC by the Senate within the first three months of this year, Ojougboh said there was nothing of such.
According to him, no single Kobo is missing in the account of the Commission since February 19 this year when the current IMC under the Managing Directorship of Professor Pondei assumed office.
“The current IMC met debt of over N3 trillion as payments for contracts awarded and executed by previous management, out of which N156 billion had been released and ready for payment”, he added .
The Federal Government has facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Hospital and four private institutions to enhance the capacity of the healthcare workforce.
The participating institutions include Nile University, Cosmopolitan University, Yangongwo College of Nursing Sciences, and Concerned Medix Foundation.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Alaba Balogun on Friday.
Alaba revealed that during the signing ceremony, the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasized that the MoU aligns with the administration’s policy to expand training capacities.
Prof. Pate further highlighted that this initiative reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to increasing the training of health workers, addressing workforce gaps, and maintaining professional standards through the Regulatory and Professional Schools Division of the Hospital Services Department of the Ministry.
He stressed the government’s responsibility to tackle multiple challenges, including infrastructure, equipment, and human capital development, noting that Nigerian health workers are highly sought after due to their excellent training.
“Thankfully, because they are well-trained, we are very proud of them. If we weren’t training them, they wouldn’t have been attractive to other countries.
“Unfortunately, that has implications on the service delivery at home. So as a government, we took a progressive stance to say, look, let’s train more.
“So that even if those who are trained leave, some will stay. And even those who have gone away might come back to serve. And, that is the driving force behind this policy approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the Coordinating Minister pointed out.
Prof. Pate also underscored the crucial role of the private sector in achieving the government’s objectives, noting that Nigeria’s healthcare system operates as a mix of public and private institutions.
“So, the private sector has a space, and I am very pleased that you have joined hands with the National Hospital to be able to really see how the capabilities of the hospital can help you train more clinicians”, he said.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Prof. Raji Mahmud, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritizing improvements in the healthcare system.
He affirmed that the collaboration and signing of the MoU between the National Hospital and private institutions would significantly expand healthcare workforce training.
Prof. Mahmud further noted that three out of the four institutions are primarily training centers focused on medical and nursing education in partnership with the National Hospital, Abuja.
In a bid to enhance medical care for Nigerians, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed six new Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) for Federal Hospitals across the country.
Among those appointed is Dr. Ikrama Hassan, who will now serve as the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State. Dr. Hassan, a seasoned consultant physician, previously served as the Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital before its elevation to a teaching hospital.
The full list of newly appointed CMDs includes:
Prof. Olusegun Sylvester Ojo – Federal Teaching Hospital, Akure, Ondo State.
Prof. Yusuf Mohammed Abdullahi (Reappointed) – Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
Dr. Dauda Abubakar Katagum – Federal Teaching Hospital, Azare, Bauchi State.
Dr. Ikrama Hassan – Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Dr. Ali Mohammed Ramat – National Orthopedic Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State.
Dr. Haruna Abubakar Shehu – Federal Medical Centre, Kafanchan, Kaduna State.
Each appointment is for a four-year term, effective from the date of assumption of duty.
President Tinubu congratulated the appointees, urging them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service delivery. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving medical infrastructure and ensuring quality healthcare access for all Nigerians.
Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, Garba Maidoki has called for the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre to be situated in Zuru to cater for the health needs of the District and its environs.
The lawmaker in the 10th National Assembly made the call during a public hearing on the Bill to establish Federal Medical Centre in Zuru organized by the Senate Committee on Health.
In a memorandum presented at the hearing by the lawmaker, he explained that the aim is to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of Zuru in Kebbi State in the North West Nigeria.
He further noted that the establishment of FMCs across the country was initiated by Decree No. 10 of 1985, with the aim of providing tertiary healthcare services.
According to him, the FMC Birnin Kebbi was established on June 6, 2000, and has since been upgraded to a University Teaching Hospital.
The lawmaker stated that the large population and the challenges faced in accessing healthcare services, necessitates the establishment of FMC in the state.
“In Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, the distance between Zuru Emirate and Birnin Kebbi is approximately 240 km, making it difficult for patients, especially children and pregnant women, to access secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities”, he lamented.
Senator Maidoki charged his colleagues and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support the bill, saying healthcare is a fundamental privilege expected from any government.
The lawmaker who is the sponsor of the bill told journalists during a chat that the Federal Medical Center, when established will not only cater for the tertiary healthcare needs of Kebbi State, but will also serve the adjoining states like Niger and Zamfara.
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