Elombah.com is in possession of documents indicating how the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Awute Linus, the Project Director of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention [NCDC], Dr. Abdulsalami Nasidi, and Director for Emergency Response, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Kehinde J. Akintunde connived and embezzled 43 billion Naira from the coffers of the Ministry.
Elombah.com gathered that some of the said embezzled funds were funds derived from international donors to battle diseases of emergency nature like Ebola, Tuberculosis and others.
The lid of the corrupt practices was blow open by Save the Soul Transparency and Eagle Eye International Foundation, an anti-corruption organisation.
Following the discovery, several efforts were made by the anti-corruption organisation to get the indicted bodies to reveal certain details via the Freedom of Information [FoI] Act to no avail.
The tight grip of the corrupt officials have ensured that they have kept evading arrest and prosecution despite several petitions to that effect. For example:
1. A petition addressed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC], dated January 6, 2017, to investigate the Criminal Breach of Trust, embezzlement of State funds, corrupt practices, Abuse of Offices, and Money Laundering, and to prosecute the culprits was swept under the carpet.
2. An application addressed to the Honourable Minister of Health dated January 23, 2017, requesting for data pursuant to reports of investigation on over 44 million dollars Gavi-HSS misappropriated funds fraud on malaria, HMIS-HPRS and Tuberculosis went unattended to.
3. An application sent to the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa [DTCA] dated January 23, 2017, requesting information and documents on perceived irregularities in the agency went unheeded.
Other documents show application to the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chairman Code of Conduct Bureau [CCB] as well as several reminders to other agencies for information via the FoI Act and warning shot which were all ignored and/or neglected.
Instead of the requisite matters attended to and the necessary questions answered, the petitioner has been severally arrested and detained in various prison facilities to suffocate the case and frighten off the petitioner.
On one occasion he was even shot at close range but managed to escape with the breadth of hair.
The long tentacles of the accused persons seem to be everywhere the petition manages to find its way into waiting to arrest the investigation.
Currently, the George Uboh Whistleblowers Network [GUWN] has stepped into the case and the foremost whistleblower, Dr. Uboh has sworn to see the daunting corruption monolith on its knees and ensure that the culprits are brought to book.
Yours truly, Elombah.com will be following the case and provide updates as soon as they appear.
See the attached documents:
