Delta Assembly cautions MDAs against misappropriation of budgetary provision

The Delta House of Assembly Committee on Health has charged the Ministry of Health and parastatals under it to shun all forms of misappropriation of budgetary provisions.

Chairman of the Committee, Ferguson Onwo, gave the warning on Friday at the budget defence meeting with the Ministry of Health and it’s parastatal and agencies.

Onwo (PDP-Isoko South II) said that the purpose of budget defence was to ascertain the level of performance in the outgoing year and successes recorded.

Onwo noted that the state government through the appropriation law allocates resources to MDAs, saying it becomes a breach of the law when expenditures are made outside the budgetary allocations.

The committee chairman commended the ministry for their performances in the outgoing fiscal year.

Onwo, however, urged them to do more, saying that the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori-led administration was committed to delivering on his electioneering promises as encapsulated in its ‘MORE Agenda’.

“I encourage you to leverage on the ‘MORE Agenda’ vision of the Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori and articulate policies and programmes that would holistically address the health needs of the people of the state.

“This charge is imperative as the health needs of the people of Delta must top the priority needs of the state government. ”

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme said that the ministry was proposing the sum of N30 billion for Capital projects in the 2025 fiscal year

He said that the state government was prioritising capital projects and programmes in 2025 aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery in the state.

On revenue projection, the Commissioner disclosed that the sum of N2.7 billion was being projected as proposed revenue from the Ministry in the 2025 fiscal year.

Onojaeme also said that the projected revenue would be achieved through enhanced revenue drive as well as approval of the validation of plough back to the ministry.

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On his part, the Director General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr Isaac Akpoveta, said the Commission would continue to maintain its programmes in the coming year 2025.

He said the commission was working round the clock in line with the ‘MORE Agenda’ of the state government to ensure quality and accessible health care to the people of the state through the health insurance scheme.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Hospital Management Board (HMB) and health institutions under the ministry also appeared before the Assembly Committee on Health for the 2025 budget scrutiny.

NAN