APC, PDP trade accusations over allocation to health sector

AN All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration would offer medical facilities to the citizenry despite the dwindling revenue from oil export, according to the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

   Mohammed maintained that the shortfall in oil revenues would not stop an APC led administration from discharging its responsibility to the citizenry.

   Mohammed, who spoke on programmes to address the health and education challenges in Nigeria, organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) at the weekend, noted that the problem with the health sector is corruption and stealing of monies allocated over the years.

   He said a recent audit report revealing the disappearance of about $1.6 billion, approximately over N300 billion from the vault of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government could not offer free and qualitative medicare to the citizenry.

   He remarked that such monies was more than the yearly statutory allocations to some states from the federation account, adding that there was no way the country, which recorded a loss of 400,000 barrels per day to oil thieves, equivalent of what neighbouring Equatorial Guinea produces every day, could have performed magic in the provision of basic amenities like medicare to Nigerians.

   “The issue is once we stop the bleeding of our treasury, we would be able to provide the basic needs of everybody. If the PDP cannot do anything with $110 per barrel, I wonder what it could do with $50 per barrel in oil sale in the market.”

   However, PDP’s Dr. Katchi Ononuju insists that the PDP-led administration had made effective use of income from oil over the years, maintaining that the passage of the National Healthcare Act was to ensure the wellbeing of Nigerians.

   Agreeing that there is still chance to make amends on areas of inadequacies in the legislation, Ononuju stated that establishment of special referral hospital in key areas like Uyo and Kano were in line with the goal to achieve the objective.