Connected Development (CODE) through its programme, Covid-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP) has raised serious accountability questions on how the state government managed funds allotted to it for Covid-19.
CODE, which began tracking Coronavirus funds allotted to the state government, lamented that Bauchi Government was not ready to reveal spending of the fund as requested.
The Organisation in a report presented by its Bauchi Team Lead, Jacklin Ojeyokan said it was discovered that many of the primary health care centres did not have a storage facility for the Covid-19 vaccine.
She said despite the huge resources allotted to state governments to address the pandemic, her organization discovered that there are no qualified personnel to administer the jab.
Jacklin who told WikkiTimes that the study which was done in Bauchi, Darazo, Misau and Katagum local councils found disturbing instances of “shortage of staff like Doctors, Pharmacists and also Laboratory technicians.”
The team lead while handing over the report to the Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed who was represented by the Director PHC in Misau, Jibril Inuwa said; “In Yelwa Domiciliary, we discovered that there is no appropriate staff accommodation.” “Tashan Babiye has no accommodation and pharmaceutical fridge to store the vaccine. In Misau, there is no doctor, no pharmaceutical and lab technicians. The case is similar in Kofar Fada, Gadau and Darazo PHCs”, she added.
“The major concern is to show how the funds received were spent and to know the amount received by the State.
Jacklin told WikkiTimes that despite her organization’s repeated effort to get information about the funds in the state, officials knowledgeable about the funds ignored their request.
“Till date, no information was obtained as all efforts proved abortive.
“Some of the ministries till date ignored the FOI (freedom of information), while others kept on redirecting us from one place to another, saying they lacked the information we needed.
“Honestly speaking, the government is lacking in the aspect of transparency. “We hope that the government will do more in giving information to its citizens, especially important information that concerns them”, she said.
Meanwhile, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, the State Primary Health Care Development Agency said that the state was aware of the challenges facing the PHCs.
He said that the government was working towards employing more doctors and other health workers to properly man the 323 main PCs.
He said that the agency has successfully administered the first phase of the vaccine, assuring that it will fix all the identified challenges.
CODE in the project, tagged ‘Follow the Money’ is tracking the Covid-19 funds in 15 states.
