By EricJames Ochigbo
The House of Representatives Committee on Infectious Diseases has asked all recipients of grants for the control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria to submit their bank statements and other relevant documents on procurement for scrutiny.
In a statement on Sunday by the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Amobi Ogah (LP-Abia) after an overnight of relevant agencies, the committee pledged to ensure accountability and transparency on all funds received.
Ogah said that the committee is currently investigating the utilisation of $4.6 billion allegedly received by Nigerian organisations from the Global Fund and USAID between 2021 and 2025.
He said that the committee recently visited some principal grant recipients including the Institute of Human Virology, Family Health International (FHI360) and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
The lawmaker said that while the committee commends the concerted efforts by the agencies in response to the diseases, it will no longer be “business as usual.”
He said that there is a need to stream implementation of grants for the control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, received by principal and sub-recipients to avoid duplication.
Ogah said that at the oversight, the committee was informed at the Institute of Human Virology that the agency received a total of $359.4 million in grants between 2021 and 2026.
Also, he said they got confirmation that CRS received grants amounting to about $74.784 million between 2021 and 2026 while FHI360 received $290.44 million between January 2021 and December 2023, and disbursed about $223.99 million before the programme ended.
“It is imperative that every mobilised resources must be judiciously expended and accounted for; therefore, the committee is charging all Global Fund recipients to sit up as it will no longer be business as usual.
“All recipients of Global Fund grants and sub-recipients are to submit their implementation plan to the parliament for approval in addition to quarterly reports of the activities so that the National Assembly will ensure strict adherence to transparency and accountability.
“It is our desire to engage a coordinated and a robust oversight of the implementers; the committee therefore, demand that all the organisations to provide statement of their bank accounts and other relevant documents including all procurement processes,” he said.