Reps probe NACA over $5m expired drugs

The lower legislative chamber is crossed with the management of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) for allowing drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS expire before beneficiaries could access them.

Besides, the lawmakers have begun investigations into an alleged misappropriation of Global Fund’s grant of $ 1,349,087 between July and December 2013 by workers of the Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS).

DPRS is one of the three major recipients of the grant through NACA.

Consequently, Committee on HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control has commenced investigation into the application of Global Fund grants by NACA since 2010.

The lawmakers opined that to have allowed $5m worth of drugs, which the agency’s Director General (DG), Prof John Idoko put at $2.5m to expire meant that it is either NACA is being managed by uncommitted workers or lacks capable man power.

The decision of the Emmanuel Ombugadu-led Committee followed an interactive session between the Committee and NACA over the alleged misappropriation of Global Fund’s grant of $1,349,087 between July 2012 and December 2013 by DPRS staff.

According to the chairman, the Committee was petitioned by a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Say No Campaign that the Office of the Inspector General of Police has investigated officials of DPRS for misappropriating $1,349,087 between July 2012 and December 2013.

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Staff of DPRS, as contained in the petition, committed the fraud through various means including misrepresenting or inflating the amount paid for hotel venue for meeting facilities and rooms and inflating and or falsifying receipts related to daily subsistence allowance entitlements, transportation expenses to and from the venue, fuel and stationery.

The CSO also alleged that DPRS workers misappropriated the grant by claiming expenditures for travel not taken; colluding with and receiving kickbacks from hotels and suppliers as well as inflating the number of attendees at a meeting or training or its duration.

NACA’s DG, Idoko, who confirmed the DPRS fraud, said it was an embarrassment and has informed the Federal Ministry of Health about it.

While noting that the worth of expired drugs at the Fedral Medical store was not $5m but $2.4m, Idoko regretted that the store was in dire need of financial assistance.

The Committee however questioned the propriety of NACA’s budgetary allocation of N300m for land and N450m for renovation of houses while the Federal Medical Store that houses it’s drugs was in need of financial help.

 

 

 

 

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