A coalition of civil society groups for transparency and accountability has accused Kogi state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Haruna Audu, of breaching the state Bureau of Public Procurement Act protocol in the contracts allegedly awarded to companies in which he has interest.
In a petition addressed to Governor Yahaya Bello by convener of the coalition, Comrade Ibrahim Kabir Dallah, the groups accused the commissioner of using his office to influence the award of contracts to companies owned by his school mate and an ally.
The group explained that the legal search on profile of a company; AKH Premier Healthcare Limited, revealed that Mr. Musa Abdulkarim Omoniye is a director with the company, noting that the director who has majority share capital is a classmate of the commissioner.
Mr. Musa Abdulkarim Omoniye works with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja as obstetrician and gynecologist, a situation which he said runs afoul of the Kogi state government policy and mandate of transparency, accountability and openness as contained in the Kogi state Bureau of Public Procurement Act.
“We have proof of reasonable suspicion that the Commissioner for Health in Kogi State is circumventing all established due process in the award of contracts in order to award it to himself through one Dr. Musa Abdulkarim who we have been informed is an obstetrician and gynecologist in the service of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.
“Both the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Audu and Dr. Musa Abdulkarim, who is director in AKH Premier Healthcare Limited and proprietor, Marusa Integrated Services, are classmates, close friends and associates,” the statement said.
When Blueprint contacted Mr. Musa Abdulkarim Omoniye on phone he said he had no comment on the issue.
Efforts to reach the commissioner for his comment on his known telephone number failed.
