By Muhammad B. Muhammad
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned the Federal Government against the mismanagement of the $1.07 billion budgeted for the health sector in the 2025 budget. Referring to past bizarre claims of public funds being consumed by animals such as snakes, termites, and monkeys, Atiku urged for transparency and accountability in the use of public resources.
Atiku highlighted that with dwindling national resources and reduced external support for healthcare services, every kobo earmarked for health must be judiciously utilized. He called for robust mechanisms to audit and track the expenditure of the health sector’s budgetary allocation.
The former Vice President expressed concern over the lack of comprehensive information on how the Federal Government intends to spend the over $1 billion allocated to the primary healthcare sector.
Atiku emphasized that investment in primary healthcare is crucial for providing Nigerians with affordable and quality health services. However, it is unethical for the government to withhold detailed plans on how the allocated funds will be disbursed.
“We have read that the Federal Government plans to spend $1.07 billion in the primary health sector, in addition to the earlier proposed N2.48 trillion for the health sector. This becomes more troubling when the government revealed that much of the $1.07 billion was sourced through foreign loans, with a fraction provided by an international donor agency,” Atiku stated.
He insisted that Nigerians deserve full disclosure of the loan details and a transparent policy framework for the fund’s expenditure.
Atiku criticized the government’s lack of commitment to any specific physical infrastructure project in the budget, labeling it as indicative of possible fraud.
“For an administration that has struggled with credibility, Nigerians cannot afford to accept vague explanations on how this huge budgetary provision will be managed without proper tracking mechanisms,” Atiku noted.
He further expressed skepticism over the administration’s claims of improvement in tertiary health institutions, which often lack basic amenities, including reliable electricity.
Atiku highlighted that major health concerns such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS remain prevalent in the primary health sector. He urged the Tinubu administration to outline its plan for utilizing the intervention fund to address these diseases effectively.
He also criticized the government’s panic response to the cancellation of American aid for HIV/AIDS treatment in Nigeria, describing the N5 billion allocation as grossly insufficient.
Atiku warned that if the Tinubu administration fails to present a comprehensive framework for safeguarding the health sector funds and does not subject the budgetary allocation to National Assembly scrutiny, it would raise suspicions of fraud under the guise of public interest.
Sahel Reporters News
