Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has urged the federal government to ensure the $1.07 billion health sector budget is not mismanagedHe criticised the lack of transparency in the budget, highlighting that a significant portion of the funds comes from foreign loans, which Nigerians will have to repayAtiku condemned past excuses of missing public funds linked to animals like snakes and monkeys, insisting such irregularities must not affect the 2025 health budget
FCT, Abuja – Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has called on the federal government to prevent the mismanagement of the $1.07 billion allocated to the health sector in the 2025 budget.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Atiku emphasised the need for strict accountability measures to prevent the funds from disappearing under suspicious circumstances.
Nigeria’s former vice president Atiku Abubakar sends warning to Bola Tinubu-led government against mismanagement of the 2025 health budget.
Photo credit: Pius Utomi Ekpei/@officialABAT
Source: UGC
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the last election, criticised past instances where public funds allegedly went missing under bizarre claims involving animals such as snakes, termites, and monkeys.
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He insisted that such excuses should not be used to justify financial irregularities in the health sector, Daily Trust reported.
Demands public audit and accountability
Atiku called for a detailed framework to track the expenditure of the allocated funds to ensure they directly benefit Nigerians.
He questioned the federal government’s failure to provide a clear breakdown of how the funds would be spent, particularly in the primary healthcare sector.
“To this end, the Federal Government has to be deliberate about putting mechanisms in place for public audit and accountability in its $1.07 billion budgetary appropriation in the health sector,” he stated.
The former vice president acknowledged the urgent need for investment in healthcare but insisted that transparency was equally crucial, Leadership reported.
“It will be immoral for the government not to provide extensive details of how the money allotted for this purpose will be utilized,” he added.
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Concerns over foreign loans for health budget
Atiku also raised concerns about the sources of the additional $1.07 billion, noting that a significant portion of the funds comes from foreign loans, with some contributions from international donor agencies.
“This means Nigeria will have to repay these loans, and the Nigerian people deserve to know the details, including the terms and how exactly the funds will be spent,” he said.
He further criticised the lack of commitment to tangible infrastructure projects within the health budget, warning that the absence of clear spending plans could lead to misappropriation.
“Failure of the federal government to allocate these funds towards a single physical infrastructure project smacks of fraud,” Atiku warned.
In a sharp critique of past financial scandals, Atiku cautioned that Nigerians would not accept any excuses for missing funds in the 2025 health budget.
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“Claims of animals such as snakes, termites, gorillas, and monkeys swallowing public funds must never be the fate of the funds budgeted for the critical health sector,” he declared.
Atiku’s remarks reflect growing concerns over government accountability, especially in sectors that directly impact the lives of Nigerians.
His call for transparency adds to the ongoing debate over how the country manages its resources in the face of economic challenges.
Atiku meets Jigawa state governor
Previously, Henzodaily.ng reported that Atiku paid a visit to the Governor of Jigawa state, Umar Namadi.
Atiku’s visit on Tuesday, February 4, to the top All Progressives Congress (APC) governor was to condole him over the recent double deaths of his mother, Hajiya Maryam Namadi and son, Abdulwahab Umar Namadi.
Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Henzodaily.ng.
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Source: Henzodaily.ng