Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Health has charged the State Ministry of Health, Departments, Agencies and Parastatals in the health sector of the state to shun all forms of misappropriation of budgetary provisions.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon Ferguson Onwo gave the charge on Thursday at the end of a two day rigorous budget defense exercise for the Ministry of Health, Departments, Agencies and parastatals under the oversight of the House Committee on Health.
Hon Onwo who represents Isoko South 2 Constituency in the House, stressed that the purpose of budget defense is to ascertain the level of performance in the outgoing year and successes recorded as to forecast into the next fiscal year.
Onwo alongside other members of the Committee maintained that while the state government through the appropriation law allocates resources to MDAs, it becomes a breach of the law when expenditures are made outside the budgetary allocations.
“Let me make it clear, Section 128 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered makes it clear that no money of the State government shall be a waste which further talks about misappropriation of funds.
“Our duty as lawmakers is to ensure that money is appropriated to execute projects and programmes of the state government and to ensure that every money appropriated to MDAs are not just put to use, but put to good use for the benefit of Deltans.
“We as a committee will continue to play our role in supporting the programmes of the State government in the area of health particularly the health insurance scheme”, Onwo said
The Assembly Committee Chairman on Health, commended the State Ministry of Health and others operating within the health sector for their performances in the outgoing 2024 fiscal year.
Hon Onwo however urged them to do more as the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s led administration is committed to delivering on his electioneering promises as encapsulated in the MORE Agenda.
“I encourage you to leverage on the MORE agenda vision of the State Governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori and articulate policies and programmes that would holistically address the health needs of Deltans.
“This charge is imperative as the health needs of Deltans must top the priority need of the State Government”, Onwo stated.
Meanwhile, the State government has proposed 30 Billion naira for capital projects in the Ministry of Health in the 2025 fiscal year.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme who stated this at the budget defense session with the Hon Ferguson Onwo’s led Committee on Health, hinted that the State government is poised at prioritizing capital projects and programmes in 2025 aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery in the State.
According to him, the State government is irrevocably committed to ensuring that Delta maintains its positions as one of the states in the country with high profile healthcare delivery indices.
On revenue projection, the Commissioner disclosed that the sum of N2.7 Billion is being projected as proposed revenue from the Ministry in the 2025 fiscal year.
Dr Onojaeme stated that the projected revenue would be achieved through enhanced revenue drive as well as approval of the validation of plough back to the ministry.
The Health Commissioner disclosed that the State Government is already putting measures in place to check the adverse effect of dearth of health personnel in the State occasioned by the contemporary ‘Japa’ syndrome through regular employment of health officials.
For his part, the Director General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr Isaac Akpoveta, said the Commission will continue to maintain its programmes in the coming year 2025.
He said the Commission is working round the clock in line with the MORE Agenda of the state government to ensure quality and accessible health care to all Deltans both the rich and poor through the health insurance scheme.
The Hospital Management Board, HMB and health institutions under its supervision, the Teaching Hospital and some other health related agencies in the state, also appeared before the Assembly Committee on Health for the 2025 budget scrutiny.