President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to commence full investigation into the allegedly misappropriated Global Fund grants for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria which Nigeria received from 2010-2014.
The President has also directed the Secretary to the Government of Federation to review the Office of Inspector General, OIG, audit report that indicted three Federal agencies of misappropriation of funds released to them.
The agencies indicted are two Global Fund Principal Recipients -the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA and the National Malaria Elimination Programme, NMEP, and a Sub-Recipient – the Department of Planning Research, Federal Ministry of Health, DPR-FMOH.
A statement from the office of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, said the directive is in line with the promise and no-nonsense posture of the President to fight corruption to a standstill in the country.
The statement, signed by the Director Media & Public Relations, Mrs. Boade Akinola, said, following the directive, the SGF has set-up two high-powered investigative panels to review all affected programmes and the financial transactions connected to the appropriation of the funds.
The first panel headed by the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, is to conduct in-depth review of all programmes while the second panel, chaired by Auditor General of the Federation, Mr Samuel Ukura, is reviewing all financial transactions during the period in question.
The two committees are expected to submit their reports within four weeks.
“Mr President has assured members of the international community that all funds received by Nigeria will be well utilised and accounted for under his watch to avoid a repeat of this national embarrassment.
“He also promised that all indicted will be given fair hearing and those indicted will be sanctioned to serve as deterrent to others,” the statement said.
(Source: VANGUARD)