Categories: Health

Senate Tackles FG Over Plan To Borrow $200m For Mosquito Nets

The Senate Committee on Health has tackled the federal government move to borrow $200 million for the procurement of mosquito nets.

Ekohotblog reports that the Senate Committee on Health has tackled the federal government’s move to borrow $200 million for procurement of mosquito nets and malaria medicines.

Members of the Senate Committee which comprises of the committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara), and other members of like Senators Adelere Oriolowo (APC Osun), Abba Moro (PDP Benue) wondered why the government planned to borrow despite the money budgeted to fight malaria in the proposed.

This online media recalls that the Federal Government through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mammam Mahmuda, had, in his presentation before the committee during budget defence session, said the loan had become necessary due to the high rate of under-five mortality in Nigeria largely caused by malaria and inaccessibility to malaria treatments.

He expressed that the loan if approved by the National Assembly, and accessed, would be used to procure mosquito nets and medicines to be distributed to 13 vulnerable states that have no access to malaria treatment.

Mosquito Net

While reacting, the Senate committee chairman, Senator Oloriegbe and other members lampooned the Permanent Secretary and Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib.

Senator Oloriegbe wondered why the federal government planned to borrow the $200 million to fight malaria despite the N450 million budgeted for the same purpose in the proposed 2022 budget.

He lamented over the plan to import the mosquito nets when there are local producers.

According to him, “This is a clear case of money and jobs for the boys. What you give with the right hand, you take it back with the left.

“This is unacceptable. We should be able to put our feet down when dealing with these donor agencies or creditors as regards loans to be taken and what it should be expended on.

“We should as a country produce what we use for our people. If someone wants to give us money and put conditions that you must buy from their manufacturers, you can say no for our sovereignty.”

The committee, however, demanded more details on the loan and asked the officials to return back.

Sodiq Lawal