Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba has threatened to ensure a probe of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) over the management of N950m COVID-19 response fund granted the hospital by the federal government.
He threatened to send the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corruption Practices and Other Related Matters (ICPC) after the management of the hospital if found out that it mismanaged the fund.
The money was meant to build COVID-19 testing and treatment centre within the hospital.
The minister, who paid an on-the-spot assessment to the facility in the hospital, in Port Harcourt, said what he met on ground did not match the money released so far.
The visibly angry minister said he was disappointed with what he saw during the tour of the facility.
Agba was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, to interact with beneficiaries of the projwcts and programmes implemented under federal government’s economic sustainability plan (ESP).
As part of the activities, he has paid a visit to the teaching hospital to inspect the coronavirus testing and treatment centre for which the sum of N950million had been released.
However, the minister was shocked by what he met on the ground.
Read him: “We have released N950million for each of the 52 centres in the country to build molecular laboratories and equip them, and also, for isolation centres as well as 10-bedded IC Units and personal protective equipment. But I am disappointed with what I am seeing here.
“Nothing to show there is renovation here. The funds have not been judiciously used here compared to other teaching hospitals and federal medical centres.”
The minister queried the intention of the management by putting old equipment inside the new building.
He said: “Why put up a new building and bring in old equipment? From what I see here I will invite the auditor general to look into the books to the items on the list of things for which funds had been released. If it needs bringing ICPC, EFCC, we will do so because I don’t see any money spent here at all. There is no intervention here.”
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