The Federal Government has begun inspection of federal health institutions across the country to assess the progress of work on healthcare facilities’ upgrade, provision of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and ensuring that funds disbursed for those purposes were properly utilised.
The inspection came on the heels of the earmark of a whopping N1.8trillion as part of the stimulus package in the Economic Sustainable Plan (ESP) to cushion the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health sector.
Speaking on Monday while inspecting the newly-constructed 25-bed capacity Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Infectious Disease Treatment and Isolation Center, the refurbished Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Medical Molecular Laboratory new extension for Covid -19 test and Covid-related diseases at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem, Ikanade Agba, said the inspection was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.
Agba, accompanied by the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zakari Lawal, and SA (Budget and Planning) to the State Minister, Mr Sam Ekwueme, said as a member of the Steering Committee on Open Government Partnership (OGP), “We need to take the lead and win the trust of the people by matching words with action.”
He said the present administration had made Monitoring and Evaluation a crucial element of all project implementation plans in the spirit of getting value-for- money.
The minister therefore commended the management of the Centre for the judicious utilization of the funds earlier allocated as 50% of their total sum.
His words: “I am proud of what I have seen here today; the balance of your money will soon be released to enable you complete the work.”
The Minister hinted that the Federal government was doing a lot on road rehabilitation, which he inspected recently.
He disclosed that the Federal Government was extending railways into the sea- ports in order to preserve the roads from undue pressure.
Agba also said that the federal government was working on the second longest bridge across the country, linking the North-East and South-East across river Benue and the second Mainland Bridge, which would be completed as legacy projects before the end of President Buhari’s tenure in office.
Earlier, the Medical Director of the center, Dr Yahaya Baba Adamu, commended the minister for his commitment in keeping tab on government institutions to ensure that various laudable government projects were given the much-required face lift.
This, he noted, was a better way of prompting the federal government to release development funds as and when due.
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