Covid19: Federal Ministry of Health purchased 1808 Face masks for N37.06million

A report by CivicHive of BudgIT, a non-governmental organisation, which focuses on transparency and good governance has identified several “inflated payments” for different contracts during the pendemic, which it attributed to closed procurement process.

The report revealed that the Federal Ministry of Health awarded 15 out of 29 COVID-19 contracts to one company.

It stated that the 15 contracts worth N444.28 million were awarded to company known as Marvelous Mike Press Limited.

The report further revealed the following:

1) N489.14 million was spent by the Ministry of Health on COVID-19 contracts.

2) Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital spent N2.72 million.

3) Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, spent N45.34 million.

4) The Federal Ministry of Health disbursed N970.25 million which was sourced from the COVID-19 intervention fund, and over 50 percent of this fund was given to Marvelous Mike Press Limited.

5) Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, spent N106.72 million.

6) Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) spent N1.17 billion.

7) The Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) spent N250 million on COVID-19 contracts.

8) NCDC purchased a Prado Jeep at the rate of N39.75m.

9) The Federal Ministry of Health expended N37.06 million on 1,808 pieces of face masks at the rate of N20,467 per one.

10) FMC Abakaliki bought and installed a 100KVA Generator without a contractor!

11) NCDC spent N43.87 million on supplying 2,240 pieces of face masks and N49.8 million on personal protective equipment (PPEs), without sufficient description of the items purchased with the funds.

12) The Ministry of Interior spent N18m on the purchase of 10,000 milliliters per kilogram for liquid soap.

13) The University of Abuja Teaching hospital took the delivery of medical supplies specifically for the isolation center ranging to N34.86m.

CivicHive accused most of the MDAs of not being transparent in their procurement process, adding that the projects would have been competitive if made open.

It stated that “Most of the MDAs involved do not make public their procurement process. We believe this would have been competitive if all projects were made open to all. With the way things are, it is nearly impossible to seek transparency and accountability.”