CAN OF WORM AT THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH - Minister Indicted

It is clear from all indications that corruption is no respecter of persons and indeed lives. The ministries dealing with basic human needs like agriculture, housing and health are places ministries where government is supposed to be actively involved in ensuring success so as to have immediate direct impact on the citizens of 4th is country but that seems to be the opposite. 

Despite efforts made by past and present administrations in Nigeria to stamp out corruption, incidents of illegalities seem to be on the rise especially in Nigeria’s health sector as investigations by secret reporters reveals that corruption, greed and ego has eaten very deep into the fabrics of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA). 

This is as the Nigeria Aids Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS), a national household survey first of its kind in Africa and indeed world over, that determines the distribution of HIV, Hepatitis B and C and also estimates the prevalence of HIV-related risk behaviour in the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory FCT presently ongoing in the country has been purportedly hijacked by the minister and his cohorts. 

The survey which will impact positively on the lives of Nigerians was revelaed to last for the duration of six months starting from mid-June to December 2018 with the largest human subject ever which informs the amount of money (1 billion Naira)  and seriousness with which it is being approached. The pilot phase has come to a successful end while waiting for the commencement of the main survey. Sadly, 

SecretReporters discovered that the Nigeria factor is beginning to set in as the Minister of Health in the person of Prof. Isaac Adewole and his cohorts in NACA under the supervision of Dr. Sani Aliyu have decided to hamper the progress of the survey by seeking a bribe from the sponsor; Maryland Global Initiative and playing the nepotism card by asking that the sponsors displace the people they engaged with the work and allow them to bring in their people. 

The survey is partly sponsored by the Nigerian government (1%) and majorly sponsored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore, U.S.A, and funded by U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention through the President’s Emergency Planning for Aids Relief  (99%). Insider sources confided in the reporter that there are contradicting figures in the remuneration of field workers as against the initially stated 15,000 Naira per day that the field workers were supposed to be paid rather a conflicting figure of 10,000 Naira was released. 

It is alleged that N25,000, N7000 and N5000 were supposed to be paid for accommodation, feeding and transportation respectively per day but the Minister of Health and his cohorts connived and summed it to be paid at the end of the month as N70,000 and diverted the difference on each of the staff allowances in display of his initial disagreement with the amount stipulated to be paid the workers. 

A survey that is supposed to serve Nigerians, to improve the health indices of the country, they have decided to sabotage it for their selfish gains narrated the source. Also according to the reliable source, these greedy people have so frustrated the survey even to the extent that the sponsor threatened to pull out, leaving many Nigerian to lose out of the benefits and opportunity. Surprisingly, Isaac Adewole and his cohorts are requesting that the sponsors cut off the money of those who have so far been engaged in carrying out the survey