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US-based Nigerian Asks Health Minister, Ehanire, Diaspora Commission Chairperson, Dabiri-Erewa To Account For N235m Budgeted To Attract Nigerian Medical Professionals Abroad

Dabiri-Erewa had conceptualised the framework for the Ministry of Health, to engage Nigerian health professionals resident abroad.

The coordinator of the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria (GCSDN), Frederick Odorige has questioned the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire and the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, asking them to account for monies budgeted in 2020 to attract Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora. 

Also, N24 million was proposed to be spent on training and conferences. 

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Dabiri-Erewa had conceptualised the framework for the Ministry of Health, to engage Nigerian health professionals resident abroad. 

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 posted on Twitter.

Responding to the accusation, Dabiri-Erewa wrote, “N24m to be spent on trainings & conferences abroad. A NiDCOM without a board!‪ @gcsdn_org shall ask questions.”[story_link align="left"]111889[/story_link]
 
“False.1.‪ @nidcom_gov cannot propose a budget for Ministry of health.‪ @Nidcom capital budget is 160m for the whole year. I will then propose 234 in another Ministry? Use your brains if you have any. Go report to your sponsors ! Next ??.”
 
Speaking further with SaharaReporters, the activist said despite finances budgeted to NiDCOM, there is no significant project to match the millions of naira allocated to it annually.
 
He added that Dabiri-Erewa has been running the commission like a personal estate because it’s the only government agency in Nigeria that does not have board members as required by the constitution.
 
“Monies are annually budgeted to run the affairs of Nigerians in the diaspora with little or nothing to show for it. I’m asking those involved to show how the money was released and spent.
 
“You cannot imagine the insultive defences by the Chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri. It may further interest you that NiDCOM is the only commission in Nigeria that does not have members of board as required by the constitution.
“All its administrative and financial affairs are run by the decision of only the Chairperson. Diasporans cannot vote to contribute to national policies yet we are being milked.”
The Ministry of Health had moved to engage Nigerian medical doctors, pharmacists, medical academics and other health workers from overseas, proposing to spend N234, 620,402 from the 2020 Budget for the purpose.
 
Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, in October 2019 told the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs that N173,020,401 would be spent on the “establishment and operationalisation of Diaspora Professional Healthcare Initiative, provision of logistics and implementation of Diaspora Professional Healthcare activities.”
It had proposed to spend N24 million on training and participation of the health ministry delegation to conferences involving health professionals among others.
The minister's breakdown of the 2020 budget to the committee had noted that the N173,020,401 would be used for the “establishment and operationalization of Diaspora Professional Healthcare Initiative, provision of logistics and implementation of Diaspora Professional Healthcare activities,” Vanguard had reported. 
The budgeted N24 million was to proposed to take care of the “Participation of Federal Ministry of Health’s delegation at the Annual Scientific Sessions and Trainings of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA), Medical Association of Nigerian Specialists Across Great Britain (MANSAG), Canadian Association of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists (CANPAD), Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association in the United Kingdom (NNCA-UK), Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) and International Conferences on Public-Private Partnership for Supportive Capacity Building.”

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