Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned the Federal Government against the misappropriation of the $1.07 billion allocated to the health sector in the 2025 budget.
In a statement on Sunday, He referenced past incidents where animals were blamed for missing public funds and stressed the need for transparency and accountability in the use of healthcare funds.
“In recent years, there have been bizarre claims of animals being held accountable for missing public funds. Some of these fairytale-like claims were never investigated or punished to deter future offenders.
“Against the backdrop of dwindling resources that has been exacerbated by the withdrawal of support in certain areas of our healthcare services, it is important that every kobo budgeted for the health sector has to be maximally utilised.
“To this end, the Federal Government has to be deliberate about putting mechanisms in place for public audit and accountability in its $1.07bn budgetary appropriation in the health sector.”
Atiku called for a public audit of the $1.07 billion earmarked for healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) program.
He also criticized the government’s lack of a detailed plan for utilizing the funds, especially those from foreign loans and international donors.
He urged the government to provide a clear framework and allow scrutiny by the National Assembly to avoid potential misuse of public funds.
