FIJ
While many Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in Bauchi State require renovation, the state government allocated N2,741,500,106.88 for the renovation, expansion and furnishing of its government house in the state’s 2024 budget.
This was despite the government house gulping N10,833,712,947 for renovations and expansion between 2021 and 2023, findings by FIJ have revealed.
FIJ found this by perusing the state’s budget documents from 2021 to 2024.
In the state’s 2021 budget, N5,020,500,000 was allocated for renovating, furnishing, and expanding its government house. Its budget performance document for that year revealed that N4,498,014,360.50 was expended for this purpose.
In the 2022 budget, the government house enjoyed an allocation of N3.1 billion, and budget performance documents for that year revealed that the state spent a slightly higher amount than was budgeted. That year, the state spent the sum of N3,293,998,480.39 on renovating, expanding and furnishing its government house.
The allocations and expenditure on the government house renovation did not end in 2022.
Although N1.5 billion was allocated for renovating, expanding and furnishing the government house in the 2023 budget, double the amount was disbursed. The budget performance document for that year showed that N3,041,700,106.88 was spent for that purpose.
Despite these, the Bauchi State Government approved an allocation of N2,741,500,106.88 in its 2024 budget to renovate the state house.
PHCs, HOSPITALS IN SHAMBLES WHILE GOV’T PRIORITISES GOV’T HOUSE
Findings by FIJ have also revealed a difference of N7 billion between the state government house renovation expenditure and expenditure on the repairs and rehabilitation of hospitals and health centres across the state.
While perusing the state’s budget document from 2021 to 2023, FIJ saw that the state government had spent N2,406,557,506 on renovating and repairing the state’s hospitals and health centres.
N1,950,016,382.73, N141,695,779.45 and N314,845,344 were disbursed for the rehabilitation and repairs of hospitals and health centres in Bauchi in 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Scattered across various local government areas in Bauchi are numerous public health centres with insufficient amenities and inadequate personnel to cater to the medical needs of community residents.
In June, Tracka, a civil society organisation that tracks government projects, notified the public of ten public health centres across three LGAs in Bauchi plagued with poor facilities.
Dabardak PHC, Baraza PHC, Lukshi PHC, Polchi PHC and Durr PHC in the Dass Local Government Area, Zwall PHC and Bununu PHC in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, Datsang PHC, Gobiya PHC and Bogoro PHC in the Bogoro Local Government Area of the state, were deprived of facilities such as chairs, water, electricity, pharmacy, beds, ambulances, electricity and damaged roofs.
In Gobiyya PHC, there was no water or electricity, and there were no chairs in the waiting area. Datsang PHC also suffered a similar fate and has now been abandoned. Bogoro PHC suffered from adequate beds to accommodate patients.
Tracka noticed consulting rooms, immunisation rooms, staff quarters, fencing and ambulance were absent in Bununu PHC. It further noted that medical officers in Zwall PHC used torches to attend to patients at night because the facility lacked electricity, the roofs leaked, and the walls were cracked.
Baraza PHC, Lukshi PHC, Polchi PHC, and Durr PHC all had one thing in common — lack of electricity, but some had it worse. For instance, Lukshi PHC was not connected to the power grid and Polchi PHC had not had electricity for over ten years. Polchi PHC also had damaged roofs and ceilings.
These PHCs need renovation, but the state government has prioritised using billions of naira to renovate its government house over the PHCs.
Extravagant spending and allocations are not peculiar to Bauchi. The Federal Government and other state governments also exhibit this trait.
Recently, FIJ reported how the Bayelsa State Government allocated N720 million for the purchase of torches and walkie-talkies for the Bayelsa Community Safety Corps and the state’s House of Assembly, while independent pricing showed the devices cost less than N100 million.
FIJ sent the Bauchi state government an email on Friday for comments. The state government had not responded at press time.
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN FIJ
