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Nigeria: Health Ministry's Scandal - Senator Obasanjo-Bello Defends Self
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Vanguard (Lagos)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Emmanuel Aziken
Lagos
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has defended herself in the reported utilization of unspent 2007 funds of the Federal Ministry of Health saying the N10 million channeled to her Committee was in the public interest.
In her first public comment on the issue, she told Vanguard yesterday that the money went through due process and signed for in the Ministry for the purpose of a retreat on the National Health Bill.
She disclosed that the sponsorship of the retreat came out of the desire of the former Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange to see to the passage of the National Health Bill.
Senator Obasanjo-Bello spoke as a member of the Committee, Senator Olurunnimbe Mamora defended the Ministry's sponsorship of the retreat saying that the rules of the Senate provided for such sponsorship. Senator Mamora a member of the Senate Committee in the immediate past Senate said such sponsorships were not new in the Senate.
Prof. Adenike Grange and Arc. Gabriel Aduku were forced to resign their positions as Minister of Health and Minister of State (Health) on account of reported expenditure of an estimated N300m of unspent budget of the Ministry in 2007. N10 million of the money was reportedly traced to the Senate Committee on Health chaired by Senator Obasanjo-Bello.
Senator Obasanjo-Bello disclosed that the Committee clerk had to collect the sponsorship money in December despite the fact that the retreat was not scheduled to hold until February because of persuasions from ministry officials that the 2008 budget may not be ready in February.
"It is a shame the way the ministry got the money, we had no inclination where they got the money from," she said in expression of ignorance of how the money was sourced.
According to her the retreat which ended penultimate week in Ghana was not the first time the Federal Ministry of Health would sponsor a retreat on the bill saying that a similar retreat for the immediate past Senate Committee on Health was sponsored by the Ministry but to no effect.
Affirming that the Ministry's sponsorship of the retreat came out of the desire of the Ministry to pass the National Health Bill, she said:
"Nobody requested, there was no request made in writing or in any way. When the minister called and said the money for your retreat is ready, I think at this stage in life to question where a minister gets money from ...."
"The clerk of the Committee signed and if there was anything illegal in it, the clerk of the Committee signed his name and said that he was collecting it on behalf of the Committee," she said.
On why the money was collected prior to the retreat which was held penultimate week, she said:
"What happened was that she called me in December and said that the money for your retreat is ready and I actually told her that we were not going until February because we wanted to go after the budget."
"At that point she said that you take the money and start to pay for the things so that you will expend the money because in February we may not have the budget passed and you will not have the money."
Affirming her lack of involvement, in the processing of the money she said:
"The clerk signed for the money as money for retreat. How can I sign, I am not a civil servant. If I signed for the money the records will be there, all the money expended on this was through the clerk, I cannot take a penny from the account."
Senator Mamora affirming the propriety of the Committee being sponsored on the retreat by the Ministry said:
"I have heard people refer to the fact that we undertook a trip to Ghana and I am saying emphatically that there is nothing wrong in a Committee of the Senate being sponsored on a trip by any organization, agency of Government or whatever and we are fully covered by the rules of the Senate."
The Committee has not breached any rule of the Senate, it is in order and it is not the first time that the Senate Committee on
Rule 3 on Sponsored official trips for Senators spells thus:
Senators shall:
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3.1 Not undertake any official foreign or domestic travel sponsored by individuals, private or corporate organizations unless such travels are in the public interest and will enhance legislative duty. The Senate President must be notified in writing before such trips are undertaken.
3.2 Disclose the purpose, sponsors and duration of such travel or trips to the Senate President in writing.
3.3. Submit a written report on any official trip sponsored by the Government, individuals, private or corporate organizations to the Senate within 4 weeks on return. The same Rule shall apply to travel by any Senate Committee.
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