Ebola fund scam: how almost N2 billion was frittered away by Nigeria's Health Ministry

Ebola fund scam: how almost N2 billion was frittered away by Nigeria's Health Ministry

Almost N2 billion meant for Ebola prevention was frittered by top civil servants in Nigeria's Ministry of Health.  Police team from the Analytical Tracking and Interception unit, under the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) investigating the case tried to effect some arrest today.  The N1.9 billion Ebola fund fraud was exposed by a certain Dr. Davidson George. 

A 15-page document obtained by reporters gave a  breakdown of how the amount was allegedly spent.

According to the document, the procurement of isolation tents gulped  N900 million. An expenditure payment voucher dated 11/8/2014, being personal advance granted one  Musa A.A., was also initiated by John Akintunde  Kehinde, director, environmental health, head of Health Emergency Response and Disaster, for the release of N28,220,000 for the decontamination of First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, Lagos.

The document also showed that the chief executive officer/national coordinator of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi; withdrew  N63,581,250, claiming it was meant for pre-departure training of Nigerian volunteers who left the country on December 5, 2014 for Liberia and Sierra Leone.

However, the document revealed that  the African Union Commission paid for all the expenses.

The document also claimed that on 23/12/2014, N30,769,000 was withdrawn from the Ebola account. The payment was made to Musa A. Musa in Abuja and was alleged to be for a treatment research group on Ebola.

A further breakdown of the expenses in the document showed that Nasidi, whose office is in Asokoro, with residence in Abuja, collected N250,000 as local running per kilometre.

He also collected N216,000 as airfare for a meeting which held within Nigeria and N375,000 as sitting allowance.

Police officers investigating the fraud were however prevented by officials of the Federal Ministry of health, Abuja, from arresting the Permanent Secretary, Linus Awute, and other top officials of the ministry who were involved in the embezzlement. The police team, led by one Inspector Adamu, explained that they decided to effect the arrest of the ministry officials because they had refused to honour an earlier invitation for them to come to the station to answer to some questions.

Daily Independent learnt that plain clothes police officers arrived the ministry’s building at about 1pm to arrest Awute and two others.

Other officials  penciled down for interrogation, and possible prosecution, in connection with the Ebola fund include the chief executive officer/national coordinator of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi; director, Emergency Health Response, John Akintunde  Kehinde; and the team leader of the Nigerian volunteers and deputy head of the ASEOWA mission, Joshua Obasanya, who is out of the country on official assignment.

Kehinde  was picked up from his office and brought to the third floor with the intention to pick Awute, who was not in his office at the time the police arrived. Also, Nasisdi was said to be  out of town.

As the drama unfolded, Kehinde insisted that he was not going to follow the plain clothes men, unless the police team obtained  permission from his permanent secretary.

Workers of the ministry then prevented the police from whisking him away as they followed the group to the car pack and blocked them.

At a point the workers ordered the private security guard to lock the gate so that they would not be able to go out.

While this was  going on, Assistant Superintendent of Police, John Eleke, attached to the Federal Secretariat, approached the team from Police Headquarters  and pleaded that they should allow the arrest go through proper channels o avoid chaos.