(Minna)
Niger State House of Assembly (NSHA) has demanded detailed accounts; including monies budgeted for by the state government and the various sums of money donated by Nigerlites for the control of the spread of Corona Virus (COVID-19) in the state.
The legislature also wants to know what number of medical equipment and related non-movable structure the state Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 taskforce procured with N190 million, purportedly for the purchase of Corona Virus equipment and control of spread.
Duaglobalnews recalls that the Niger State COVID-19 taskforce had earlier informed the legislature how it spent N795, 015, 000 so far on its activities stating that different amount was stated for similar equipment purchased by the Ministry of health.
But the the House Committee on Health says it is demanding more explanations on such expenditure.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Maku-sidi, appeared before the House Committee on Health to explain why corona virus had continued to spread, in Chanchaga (Minna) metropolis in particular, despite huge sums of money spent on drugs and equipment.
“Some things are conflicting from the presentations the chairman of the COVID-19 task force made last week and the document presented today by the chairman,” the House Committee Chairman on Health, Hon. Maliki Madaki declared.
Madaki said: “He told us last week that they have spent N795, 015, 000 so far, including the, N85 million paid to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for power supply during the lockdown but he backtracked today, telling us that the N85 million wasn’t part of their expenses.”
“We also discovered that the N808, 636, 000 was the amount spent from the document presented while N76 million spent for the fumigation of the entire state wasn’t part of the total amount.”
Efforts by the Secretary to State Government (SSG) and Chairman State Committee on COVID-19, Alhaji Ibrahim Matane, to assuage the legislators with claims that identified errors were ‘computational’ failed to yield desired results.
The committee stuck to its gun, demanding for details of income and expenditure.
It insisted on having rectifications and accurate figures presented before further discussions could be held on the subject matter.
This is besides querying how N190 million and N795, 015, 000 were utilized by the State Ministry of Health to procure equipment for Covid-19 treatment.
Madaki, however,insisted that the committee was not in anyway out to witch-hunt anyone but to ensure that state monies were accurately accounted for said.
He added: “The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Makusidi, while being quizzed told us that his Ministry had spent over N190 million on equipment for the treatment and containment of covid-19 and we are hearing a different figure from the COVID-19 Taskforce Committee”.
“On the other hand, the State Committee on COVID-19 taskforce, last week, told the House that it spent N795, 015, 000 on its activities, with a different amount stated for same equipment purchased.
“There is a missing link and that is why we want a thorough job.”
Meanwhile, the online publication reports that COVID-19 cases have hit 11.4 million globally, out of which Nigeria has over 28,000.
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