Reps probe Health Minister over Public-Private Partnerships

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets and Special Duties on Tuesday queried the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, over the Ministry’s public, private partnership programme and concession agreement aimed at improving healthcare in the country.
The Committee probed the BioVaccines Nigeria Limited, which is a joint venture between the federal government and May and Baker in 2007 and other partnerships by the Ministry.
Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Hom Dabo Haruna, directed that the Minister must submit relevant documents including evidence of advertisement of this PPPs/concession/lease, expression of interest on these leases as well as specific achievements recorded by the Ministry in the period under reference.
The Committee Chairman, Hon Ademorin Kuye, who later joined the hearing said the Minister should provide the documents supporting the Ministry’s N10b equity contribution.
The Minister was also directed to provide relevant documents over the lease of land to May and Baker in Lagos. He is also to tender a document of transfer of shares to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).
He said, “I also want to bring to your notice that in the document, part of the document submitted, the equity contribution of the federal government. One is 10 billion Naira.
“We take it as part of the information and documents that will be submitted alongside with the pending documents. We want to know where that money is, the utilization of the funds, when the money is being released, where the money has been domiciled.
“Also part of the agreement, Government gave out a landed property in Lagos. We want to have comprehensive documents of the agreement and document of the property, the landed property, to be submitted to this Honourable Committee as well.
“Finally, we want you to clarify to us in your next appearance the share capital of federal government and that of the partners, we want documents showing in detail how the shares have been domiciled, what is for the federal government and what is for the percentage that belongs to the federal government and that of the partners.”