3 days ago
23
From Paul Orude, Bauchi
The Bauchi State House of Assembly has commenced an immediate investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) meant for malnourished children amidst an overwhelming surge in malnutrition cases in the state.
The lawmakers are aghast at the alleged misappropriation, against the backdrop of a report that no fewer than 23,000 cases of severe malnutrition were recorded in the state between January and June this year — a 120 percent increase over the same period a year before.
Reacting to the alleged misappropriation discovered in the state budget performance report of 2024, the lawmakers promised not to leave any stone unturned to get to the root of the alleged fraud.
The lawmakers made this known in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day meeting between the legislators and the Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination on adequate budgetary allocation and release for nutrition and other primary health care services.
The meeting, which held at Elim Suit Hotel, Jos, on February 18 and 19, was organised by the State Ministry of Budget and Planning in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners. It was attended by all the 31 lawmakers, led by the Speaker, Honourable Abubakar Suleiman.
The troubling data showing numerous children in the state at risk of death comes even as UNICEF says malnutrition is the direct or underlying cause of 45 percent of all deaths in Nigeria of children under the age of five.
The lawmakers, in the communiqué, expressed regret that Bauchi remained one of the states with a high burden of malnutrition and an increasing rate of stunting among children under five years old, despite various government initiatives.
They then directed the House Committee on Food Security and Nutrition and the House Committee on Public Accounts to commence an immediate investigation into RUTF funds meant for malnourished children to prevent future occurrences.
The communiqué, signed by the 31 state lawmakers, also observed a pressing need to increase budgetary allocations for nutrition programming within the state.
They directed the House Committee on Food Security and Nutrition, House Committee on Health, and House Committee on Appropriation to work with relevant House Committees towards the creation of a budget line for nutrition activities across relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The lawmakers also directed the two House Committees to work with relevant committees to increase the budgetary provision for nutrition activities in general in the state.
“The House Committee on Public Service should liaise with development partners to ensure necessary legislation on the extension of paid maternity leave from three to six months, with a view to giving our nursing mothers adequate time to exclusively breastfeed their children,” the communiqué stated.
“The House Committee on Local Government Affairs should liaise with the Honourable Commissioner of Local Government Affairs for the establishment of a joint committee of representatives of the House and the Chairmen of Local Government Councils, where regular monitoring, supervision, and discussions will help mobilise additional, adequate, and effective funding of nutrition activities in the state.
“The House Committee on Local Government Affairs should ensure the creation of a nutrition budget line across the 20 LGAs of the state.
“The House Committees on Local Government Affairs, Food Security and Nutrition, and Health should liaise with the Honourable Commissioner of Local Government Affairs to follow up with Local Government Chairmen on the procurement of functional haemoglobin testing machines across Primary Health Care facilities that currently lack them.”
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