FG probes alleged embezzlement of $32m health grants

Following allegations of embezzlement, the Federal Government (FG) has ordered the EFCC to investigate how more than $32 million of funds from Global Fund Grants received by Nigeria from 2010 to 2014 were expended.

Minister for Health, Isaac Adewole, who stated this, also revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has also directed the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF) to review earlier audit reports from the Office of Inspector General (OIG).

Also, the SGF has set-up two investigative panels to look into the affected programmes and the financial transactions.

The first panel, headed by Mr. Adewole, will conduct in-depth review of all programmes while the second panel, chaired by Auditor General of the Federation – Mr Samuel Ukura, will review all financial transactions during the period.

The two committees are expected to submit their reports within four weeks.

He noted that “Mr President assured members of the international community that all funds received by Nigeria would be well utilised and accounted for under his watch to avoid national embarrassment”.

It would be recalled, that the Global Funds announced that its audit of grants in Nigeria identified significant problems in procurement, supply chain, financial and program management.

The body said, “The auditors found discrepancies of over US$4 million between drugs ordered and delivered; US$20 million paid to suppliers without confirmation of delivery; stock-outs of eight months for critical medicines; and a total of US$7.65 million in unsupported expenditures. The Global Fund is reviewing corrective measures, particularly with regard to risk management, identified by the OIG as the root cause of many of the issues.

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“With more than US$1.4 billion invested since 2003, Nigeria represents the Global Fund’s largest portfolio. Programs to date have contributed to 750,000 people living with HIV/AIDS currently on antiretroviral therapy, 310,000 new smear-positive tuberculosis cases detected and treated and 93.4 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets distributed to prevent the spread of malaria.

“Regarding procurement, the OIG found that Principal Recipients, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and the National Malaria Elimination Program do not monitor the deliveries to the central medical store in Lagos of drugs arriving through the Global Fund’s Pooled Procurement Mechanism (a system that allows the Global Fund to bulk order health commodities at favorable prices).

“This resulted in discrepancies in antiretroviral drugs deliveries of US$3.7 million from 2013 to September 2015 and US$0.5 million in artemisinin-based combination therapy drugs. The OIG also identified payments amounting to US$20 million made to a procurement agent without confirmation of services rendered or goods delivered.

“The auditors found major weaknesses in supply chain management including ineffective controls over inventory management and distribution directly affecting service delivery to patients in Nigeria. Stock-outs lasting 8 months of critical medicines such as antiretroviral drugs and artemisinin-based combination therapies were found in 42 health facilities visited by the OIG. In addition, HIV commodities worth US$5.4 million had expired in the last two years.

“The auditors identified a total of US$7.65 million of unsupported expenses linked to human resources, payment approval processes and advances management.

“The OIG concluded that the Global Fund’s risk management framework in Nigeria is ineffective. The organization is unable to identify, mitigate and monitor the risks effectively.”

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