Leke Baiyewu, Abuja
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the transfer of the Federal Ministry of Health’s procurement powers to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on the orders of the Presidency.
The House, at the plenary on Wednesday, stated that the development was a breach of the Procurement Act, decrying that it was frustrating the Ministry of Health in its preparations for Lassa fever and Coronavirus outbreaks.
While urging the Federal Government to “restore the procurement powers of the Ministry of Health with immediate effect,” the House resolved to investigate the Federal ministries of Agriculture, Finance and Health “on the reasons for their violation of the Procurement Act.”
Also, the lawmakers directed all relevant MDAs to redouble their efforts and support the Federal Government in “protecting the precious lives of Nigerians in the face of these unprecedented health challenges.”
The House further mandated the Committees on Health, Agriculture and Finance to ensure implementation of the resolutions, which followed the unanimous adoption of a motion by Messrs Shehu Kakale, Tanko Sonunu and Babatunde Adejare.
It was titled, ‘Serious impediments in the concerted and rapid response efforts by the Federal Government to contain and deal with the grievous threats of Lassa fever and coronavirus and other related matters.’
The PUNCH had exclusively reported on Sunday that the Federal Ministry of Health’s inability to procure equipment and equip laboratories was affecting Nigeria’s preparation for a possible coronavirus pandemic. This is despite the release of N386m by the Federal Government to scale up preparation to tackle the disease.
The Presidency, through the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, had in October 2018, stripped the health ministry of its powers to procure anything and transferred the authority to the agriculture ministry.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the development was caused by a power play between the then Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, and Kyari.
Eight months after Adewole’s exit, however, Kyari, it was learnt, had failed to reverse the directive.
Documents obtained by The PUNCH showed that whenever the ministry of health wants to make procurement, the permanent secretary would raise a memo which would be sent to the permanent secretary of the agric ministry.
Moving the motion, Kakale said in part, “The House notes that Federal Ministry of Health’s inability to procure equipment, protective personnel gadgets and other laboratory and logistical equipment/services, reagents and drugs is seriously hampering the noble efforts of the Federal Government to fight and contain the coronavirus and Lassa fever epidemics.
“The House is also worried that this scenario seriously causes inefficiency, delays and corrupt practices in the system, putting millions of Nigerian lives and the economy in grievous danger.”
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