By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Sparks flew at the National Assembly as Nigeria’s health regulatory agencies faced intense scrutiny during the 2026 budget defence session before the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Senator Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo (Rivers West), with lawmakers probing zero capital releases, vague expenditure lines, vehicle purchases, internally generated revenue (IGR) remittances, and staffing shortfalls blamed on migration.
The session, held in one of the main Senate conference rooms, opened with formal courtesies before quickly escalating into a hard-nosed interrogation of figures, priorities, and accountability.
Welcoming participants, Senator Harry-Banigo made it clear that the committee would not rubber-stamp proposals.
“Our responsibility is to juxtapose what you submit to what we find on ground,” she warned. “Your estimates must be detailed, realistic and defensible.”
She asked agencies to explain how 2025 funds were managed, what projects stalled, and what assumptions underpinned their 2026 proposals.
One after another, heads of health institutions introduced themselves.
Across presentations, a familiar complaint echoed: capital funds appropriated in 2025 were largely not released.
Several agencies confirmed:
100% capital non-release in 2025
Overhead releases averaging 37–38%
Personnel costs largely honoured, but with gaps caused by staff exits
Professor Rahmat of MRTBN disclosed that although ₦150 million was appropriated for capital in 2025, not a single naira was released.
“Our deficit of over ₦114 million was driven largely by delayed waivers and staff migration,” he explained.
In one of the most striking moments, Senators questioned unexplained personnel balances.
When asked whether unpaid salaries pointed to ghost workers, Professor Rahmat replied bluntly:
“We lost many to Japa syndrome. They left the country.”
The committee pressed further, confirming that:
All remaining staff were paid
Vacant positions could not be filled due to delayed recruitment waivers
The sharpest exchanges came when the Committee interrogated internally generated revenue.
One agency reported generating ₦189 million in 2025, projecting ₦315 million for 2026 based on:
Increased student enrolment
Accreditation of new schools
Licensing and registration activities
But Senator Harry-Banigo cut in:
“What did you do with the ₦189 million? Where is the evidence of remittance?”
Officials admitted that only 25% of IGR was remitted, prompting demands for documentary proof.
“If you attach evidence, we won’t ask too many questions,” the Chair insisted.
A tense moment erupted when Senators spotted a ₦68 million line item for ‘vehicles’.
“What kind of vehicle?” the Chair asked pointedly. “You didn’t even specify.”
Officials explained the intention was to purchase one modest utility vehicle, not luxury cars, citing staggered fund releases.
The Committee was unimpressed.
“You cannot be vague,” Senator Harry-Banigo cautioned. “We must know exactly what you want to buy.”
Another red flag was the imbalance between medical equipment and office equipment spending.
Medical equipment: ₦21 million
Office equipment: ₦49 million
Senators questioned why computers and digital tools outweighed dental chairs, ultrasonic scalers, and clinical equipment.
Officials defended the figures, citing:
Approved ceilings inherited from 2025
Relocation from Lagos to Abuja
A government directive limiting budgets to 70% of prior approvals
Still, the Chair warned:
“You are service providers. Services come from medical equipment.”
Nearly all agencies confirmed that their 2026 capital budgets were capped at 70% of 2025 approvals, per Budget Office directives.
Key figures presented included:
Personnel proposals exceeding ₦1 billion in some agencies
Capital budgets rolled over due to non-release
IGR projections rising above ₦1.2 billion collectively across boards
Idris Ahmed Baba of the Central Technologies Board painted a broader picture, describing regulatory work spanning:
Artificial limbs and prosthetics
Support devices for cleft-palate infants
Post-cancer prosthetics for women
But he warned that low staffing, lack of vehicles, and expanding regional offices were crippling oversight.
“We lack transportation. Our staff strength is overstretched. This affects our regulatory function.”
As the marathon session wound down, Senator Harry-Banigo delivered a final caution:
“Do not lump figures together. Break them down. Be clear. Be realistic. That is the only way we can defend your budgets.”
The Committee adjourned with several agencies directed to submit clarifications, evidence of remittances, and revised breakdowns, signalling that approval of the 2026 health budgets will hinge not on promises but proof.
