Posted by From Godwin Tsa Abuja on
I am a paediatrician and have practised from 1974 until I became minister in July 2007. As Minister of Health, my schedule is to oversee the functioning of the ministry liasing with the permanent secretary who is the head of administration and accounting officer.
GRANGE
I am a paediatrician and have practised from 1974 until I became minister in July 2007. As Minister of Health, my schedule is to oversee the functioning of the ministry liasing with the permanent secretary who is the head of administration and accounting officer.
Our collective vision is to deliver on our mandate to improve access to quality care by all Nigerians.
As a minister, I was told that I could approve up to the sum of N50million. In December 2007 some contracts were approved by me based on the recommendation of the permanent secretary. The director of admin I recall did not give me welfare neither did any member of my staff make me aware of any welfare taken on my behalf.
Sometime ago, I remember director of admin approaching me about some welfare package. I chased him off saying that I do not need any welfare from them and I do not know the source of their welfare. The first time I knew about this case was on the 25th of February 2008 when I was told that there was a report in the papers about my ministry. I therefore asked the permanent secretary to go and investigate the matter whilst I attended to other urgent issues. Before he could report to me, himself had been invited to the EFCC station. On his return he told me that he had been interrogated on the sharing of welfare. I then told him to investigate the matter fully and report back to me. Until this moment, I have not had time to discuss fully the matter with him, but it now occurred to me that this could be related to any mention of welfare previously by the director of admin.
ADUKU'S STATEMENT
As a minister of cabinet rank, my duties include formulation of policies and supervision of the ministry to execute the mandate of the ministry as approved by the Federal Executive Council of Nigeria.
I have approval limit of any amount below N50milion. Some vouchers of Federal Ministry of Health for December 2007 were shown to me, none of them had my approval and none of the contractors are known to me.
Shortly after my official trip from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, early in January 2008 I was confronted by the director of admin and supplies, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Oyedipo, director of finance and permanent secretary in my office with a so called welfare package for end of year 2007, which they said was N7million. I asked if this was a normal thing to do and they replied yes. My PA was instructed to put it aside, after series of enquiries to other ministries and agencies I directed the PA to return the package to the director of admin, Dr. Oyedipo but I was told he was not available.