The Gombe State Ministry of Health has announced the arrest of seven Staff of the State Primary Healthcare Development Department in Kwami and Billiri Local Government Areas, for diverting 109 bales of Insecticide Treated nets, meant for free distribution to the residents of the state.
Speaking with journalists in Gombe, the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, said 100 of the bales of the nets were from Kwami Local Government Area, with four people allegedly implicated in the matter, while the remaining nine bales were from Billiri LGA, where 3 staff of the Primary Healthcare Department were being implicated in it as well.
Dr. Dahiru said based on information of a possible diversion, the police were alerted, the vehicles conveying the nets impounded and the suspected parties arrested, based on tip-offs from the public.
He said each of the 109 bales of the Insecticide Treated Nets contained 50 pieces of nets, thereby making it 5, 450 pieces of the nets intended for diversion.
“On 10th September, a team of state personnel, who were charged with the responsibility of keeping an eye on the process to ensure that the nets do not slip into the wrong hands was tipped by an informant that the nets were loaded into a truck in one of the markets in Gombe Metropolis. These were with the sole intent of diverting them for personal aggrandizement,” Dr. Habu said.
He said The Gombe State Government, with the support of the Global Fund and other partners, Catholic Relief Services and National Malaria Elimination Programme, were distributing free Insecticide Treated nets in Gombe State.
According to him, the door-to-door strategy was adopted to ensure that every citizen of the state received the nets, intended to reduce the burden of Malaria in the state, especially in the most vulnerable groups, such as women and children.
Dr. Dahiru said investigations had implicated some independent marketers, who had also been arrested and identified their co-conspirators, who happened to be four staff of Kwami Local Government Are PHC Department and in police custody, while further investigations continued to unravel the actual occurrence.
“On the same note, the state personnel were tipped off by an informant that a similar situation was unfolding in Billiri LGA.
The police were informed and three staff of the Billiri PHC department were fingered and arrested and they are all in police custody,” said Dr. Dahiru.
He further appreciated the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS and members of the Civil Defence Corps for their roles in ensuring the recovery of the nets.
He said, if found guilty, the culprits would be dealt with according to the civil service rule.
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