The coordinator of the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria (GCSDN), Frederick Odorige had questioned the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire and Dabiri-Erewa, asking them to account for monies budgeted in 2020 to attract Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has said its chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, did not misappropriate monies budgeted in 2020 to attract Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora.
The coordinator of the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria (GCSDN), Frederick Odorige had questioned the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire and Dabiri-Erewa, asking them to account for monies budgeted in 2020 to attract Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora.
He added that another N24 million was proposed to be spent on training and conferences.
Dabiri-Erewa had conceptualised the framework for the Ministry of Health, to engage Nigerian health professionals resident abroad, he alleged.
Odorige questioned Ehanire and Dabiri-Erewa regarding how the funds meant to be used to attract Nigerian medical experts back to the country were spent.
“Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, under Abike Dabiri-Erewa, & Min. of Health- Osagie Ehanire, jointly proposed N234.6m to attract medical professionals from the diaspora,” he had posted on Twitter.
Reacting, Abdur-Rahman Balogun,
Head of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols of NiDCOM described the accusation as baseless.
The statement read, “The immediate question that comes to mind is how NIDCOM, a statutory agency of government, will be responsible for the expenditure of a sub head in a totally different ministry?
“For the mere fact that a budgeting sub head on Diaspora is in the Ministry of Health budget does not translate or add to NIDCOM's budget, so where is the fraud in the Commission when such money was not domiciled in it and it has no expenditure control?
“Is there any evidence that such money was even released to the Ministry of Health let alone being misappropriated as alleged by the storyteller? Well, the Ministry will speak for itself.
“As for NIDCOM, it is practically impossible for the Commission to influence the budget of a ministry while struggling to have its own budget increased.
“If NIDCOM, struggling with a capital budget of about a N160 million naira has the power to influence or spend N234 millon, why would it domicile it in a ministry or agency it has no control over?
“While the said Hungary-based Frederick Odorige of one Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria whom Sahara Reporters quoted, is notorious for dark, spurious, ridiculously bizarre allegations and should ordinarily be ignored, we are responding to this because it borders on finances and we owe our esteemed diaspora community a proper clarification of facts.
“As a Commission, we shall remain focussed on our mandate as we look forward to another successful diaspora day scheduled for July 25.
“It is hoped that Sahara Reporters will give this rejoinder the same prominence it gave the initial report and also endeavor to verify such sinister, unfounded allegations.”