The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has vowed to unravel alleged missing of 13,350 diapers meant for antenatal care at a Primary Health Centre in Sambawa community, Kebbi.
The commission said it would investigate the criminal conduct and bring the culprits to book. The Chairman of ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu, said this at a one-day conference, organised by the ICPC in Abuja, on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference titled “Engendering Corruption-Free Primary Health Care Delivery For All”.
“Recently, the Sambawa community in Kebbi State sent a petition to us regarding missing antenatal care items for pregnant women and newborn babies donated to a healthcare facility.
“Our preliminary investigation indicated that the missing diapers allocated to Sambawa Primary Healthcare Centre are 13,350 pieces, while the investigation by Kebbi State Primary Healthcare Agency puts it at 3,466.”
He said though two staff members of the Sambawa Primary Healthcare Centre, a male and a female, were indicted for the missing items, the commission intended to unravel the criminal conduct and bring the culprits to book.
He added that communities and civil society organisations were becoming more interested in tackling corruption in the health sector.
The chairman said that the commission was putting in place measures to ensure corruption-free primary healthcare delivery in the country. He said that the commission organised the conference, which was part of the efforts being made to enlist and foster public support in combating corruption in the nation.
According to him, the conference is specifically organised to stimulate discussions that will help improve service delivery devoid of windows for corrupt tendencies in the health sector.
“This has become necessary considering the sector’s critical nature and its role in ensuring a healthy society at all levels.
“The Commission’s choice of Primary Health Care in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the pilot for the nationwide conversation is to create a comprehensive template that can be replicated in all the six-geopolitical zones of the federation.
“Participants were carefully drawn from community healthcare stakeholders to have a holistic and collaborative approach to improving the effectiveness of primary healthcare service delivery,” he said.
According to him, the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to be signed at the conference would provide opportunities for the cross-fertilisation of anti-corruption ideas and harnessing available resources to address issues that hinder people from enjoying a corruption-free healthcare system in Nigeria.
The Minister of Health, Muhammed Ali Pate, said the nation’s PHCs faced multifaceted challenges, including corruption that must be urgently tackled. He added that corruption in the health sector could not be isolated from other sectors.
Pate said Nigeria had a prosperous future but prosperity would only come if citizens did the right things collectively.
“So, when we look at the issue of corruption in Nigeria, which is a long-standing issue, it’s almost everywhere but how do you address it?
“It’s a huge challenge and it’s a systemic challenge. It is also a multi-institutional challenge, this conversation will determine what to do about it.
“The volume of mortality is on the poorest when we access Nigeria’s health utilisation and output in the continent, compared to so many other countries,” Pate added.
According to him, there is need to strengthen regulatory bodies so that they do not become predators.
Dr Chris Isiguzo, National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said Primary Health Care was the bedrock of any nation’s health system.
“It is the first point of contact for individuals, families, and communities, playing a critical role in preventing diseases, promoting health, and ensuring the well-being of our citizens.
“However, the integrity and efficacy of this vital sector can be severely undermined by corruption.
“Corruption in primary health care delivery not only diverts essential resources but also erodes trust in public institutions, compromises the quality of care, and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in our society.
”Therefore, tackling this issue is not just a necessity but a moral imperative,” he stated.
He said the union remained steadfast in the fight against corruption across the nation. Present at the conference were representatives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA),National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), the United Nations Development Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Others are National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives.
