Stakeholders in Bauchi State have urged the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Mohammed Pate, to improve the governance of health financing and ensure transparency in the utilisation of the (BHCPF).

A group led by Dr. Yahaya Ibrahim, Director of the Andiwa Farmers Association, challenged the Ministry’s handling of billions of Naira allocated to over 8,000 health facilities, demanding immediate action to educate citizens on their rights and the status of the funds.

Speaking in Azare over the weekend, Ibrahim highlighted the plight of rural populations, peasant farmers, and vulnerable communities, many of whom are illiterate and unaware of the financial allocations made for their healthcare.

“Rural people need to be educated more on how they will access health care facilities and to know the amount of money being kept for them at health facilities, since the majority of them are illiterate; they don’t even know the facilities where the Ministry allocated their money,” he stated.

He said that the Ministry has failed to respond to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by a civic technology organisation, BudgIT. The request, according to him, sought detailed information on the recent N32.9 billion third-round funding disbursement of the BHCPF.

Yahaya emphasised that the Ministry’s silence “is against the rule of law,” as the FOI Act mandates a response within seven days. He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure compliance and transparency.

He added that BudgIT, through its tracking programme, Tracka, requested specific information to fulfil its oversight role:
To publish the list of the 8,000 health facilities benefiting from the N32.9 billion.

Announce the precise location (state and local government area) of each facility.
Mention the exact amount allocated and disbursed to each of the facilities.

He also drew attention to critical issues in service delivery, demanding that the Minister ensure hospitals are well-equipped with needed radiologists and other test equipment.

He advised the Minister to seek support from secret security services to monitor personnel conduct and urged citizens to remove fear and actively complain whenever they observe system failures.

“I recently read that the Minister has set up what he calls an ‘Oversight Committee/Basic Health Care Provision Fund Secretariat,’ that would work together with the ICPC to track the proper utilisation of these funds. While this may sound noble, the Minister’s attention must be drawn to the fact that these funds were entrusted into his hands.

“As such, he should allow a neutral, non-governmental organisation to do the tracking on behalf of ordinary Nigerians for whose healthcare the funds were meant.

“Additionally, the Minister should know that his choice of his home state of Bauchi to launch the tracking exercise has left people asking questions about the real motive of the whole exercise,” he added.

He urged the Minister to do his best in making sure that hospitals are well equipped with needed radiological equipment and other test equipment to enable patients to undergo a series of tests in the hospital.