The source who spoke to Weekly Trust on condition of anonymity, said the beneficiaries included former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu Ikara, former Governor of the state, late AVM Usman Muazu, late Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Polycarp Akoje, two traditional rulers from the southern part of the state and a retired Major General, Ishaya Bakut and 16 others.
According to him, the entire yearly budgetary allocation for the ministry was spent in the first quarter for these executive medical treatments. He mentioned Germany, India, Egypt and Saudi Arabia as some of the countries where the “executive patients” were treated, adding that their ailments ranged from kidney transplant, cancer, liver surgery, among others.
“Kaduna State government has a particular vote for foreign medications in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance is overseeing it. In 2008, all the money which was meant for the whole year was spent in the first quarter of the year as many politicians and traditional rulers in the state kept applying,’’ the source said.
Already another list of 120 people who are to benefit from the next phase of the foreign medical treatment has been compiled, the source revealed, adding that most of them are politicians. If approved, the cost of treatment and medication will cost the state government about N1.2 billion, he further said.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Yari Everton Peter, confirmed it saying “actually, over 300 million naira was spent on the foreign medication of some prominent personalities in the state. The amount was used to assist people in the state seeking medical attention abroad. But the state governor has put a halt to foreign medications now,’’ the commissioner said.
