News
Buhari Demands Accountability On $890m Health Grant
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, directed the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, to ensure effective utilisation of Global Fund’s provision of $890million over the next three years, to support Nigeria’s fight against HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement, yesterday, titled, “$890 million health grant to Nigeria: President Buhari demands periodic performance reports from ministry.”
According to the statement, the president spoke at the virtual launch of the grant for the period of 2021-2023, which will also support the establishment of resilient and sustainable systems for health in the country.
The statement quoted Buhari as saying that, ”Let me also emphasise here that this administration has zero-tolerance for corruption and inefficient use of resources.
”In this regard, I hereby direct the Minister of Health ( Dr Osagie Ehanire) to set up an accountability framework, to monitor the use of this fund and provide periodic performance reports to my office.”
The president was also said to have assured donor agencies and development partners of judicious use of the grant.
He said the funding would complement investments in the health sector, help curb new infections, and reduce HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria-related morbidity and mortality.
”It is my wish that in the next three years, these three diseases are taken much further down the path of elimination,” he added.
The president also applauded the Global Fund for their contribution of $51million during the early stages of Nigeria’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to procure Personal Protective Equipment, test kits and scale-up diagnostic capacity.
”I acknowledge the support of Development Partners, namely; the United States Government, the United Nations system, bilateral agencies and various local and international foundations.
”I am pleased to say that, on our part, we are on track to fulfilling our co-financing commitments to the Global Fund for this new funding cycle and meeting our other commitments as and when due,” he said.
Commending the work of Nigeria’s Country Coordinating Mechanism, under the leadership of the minister of health, Buhari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
He pledged that his regime would continue to work with fellow heads of state and governments across the continent to ensure sustained high-level political engagement to achieve the SDG goals.
The president recounted that the strong partnership between the government and people of Nigeria and Global Fund, dating back to 2002, had contributed immensely to saving lives, especially of women and children.
According to him over the last two decades, joint efforts with the Global Fund, the United States Government, the United Nations and other development partners, had succeeded in bringing about significant reduction in new infections, morbidity and mortality from HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
He attributed the improvements to the effective alignment of our various national investments, using the most recent evidence to inform policies, strategies and plans.
”The thrust of our government in the health sector is to ensure that investments get a health systems strengthening focus, as the most efficient way to utilize available resources and position Nigeria on the path to sustainability of health programmes.
”The minister of health is pursuing this trajectory,” he said.
On Nigeria’s contribution to the fund, the president announced that he approved $12million to the last Global Fund Replenishment held in Lyon, France, representing a 20 per cent increase on the country’s immediate previous contribution.
”Our administration is committed to increasing domestic financing and exploring other innovative ways of increasing financing for health, to ensure Universal Health Coverage,” Buhari said.
The statement also quoted Ehanire as, speaking in his capacity as the chair of the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund programmes in Nigeria, saying Nigeria recently signed eight grants amounting to $890million to support HIV, TB and Malaria programmes and build resilient and sustainable systems for health.
Giving an overview of the grant, he said two of them are for HIV management, amounting to $310million, and will be administered by two principal recipients namely the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and Family Health International.
According to the minister, $180million of the $310million was earmarked for procurement of antiretroviral medicines, which will maintain 1.4million Nigerians living with HIV on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment.
He explained that three of the grants, amounting to $153million are for TB, to be administered by three principal recipients including the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme, the Institute for Human Virology in Nigeria and the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
He added that two of the grants for malaria elimination, amounting to $439million will be administered by two principal recipients – the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the Catholic Relief Services while the eighth and final grant worth $35million for Resilient System for Sustainable Health has NACA as principal recipient.
In her goodwill message, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S Embassy in Nigeria, Kathleen FitzGibbon, was said to have described Nigeria’s recent contribution to the Global Fund as an important commitment to end all the three diseases and to ensure a healthy and prosperous country.
”We hope the achievements made in Nigeria in the fight against HIV, TB and Malaria, with support from the Global Fund, will inspire and motivate health workers and other partners alike,” the representative of the U.S. Government, which is the largest single donor to the Global Fund, said.
Speaking virtually from Geneva, the Executive Director, Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Peter Sands, while commending the partnership with Nigeria, said in addition to the $890million grant, the Global Fund has disbursed $2.6billion to support HIV, TB and Malaria and strengthening of RSSH, since 2003.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.
