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Yar’Adua sacks health ministers, suspends permsec, 13 others
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The permanent secretary of the ministry Simon Ogamdi; H.B Oyedapo, director of administration, and Hanafi Muhammed, director of finance, who were also accused of corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), were suspended.
Other suspended officials are M.S. Hamid, a director in the ministry; Abdulrahaman Ambali, chief accountant; Donald Ekanem, principal administrative officer; Donatus Iyang, principal transport officer, and seven other civil servants in the ministry.
The development marks Yar’Adua’s first demonstration of his pledge to have zero tolerance for graft amidst growing expectations from the business community that indicted officials be subjected to the dictates of the law.
Hassan Lawal, minister of labour, has been directed to take-over and oversee the affairs of the ministry until further notice.
Yar’Adua had in December 2007 ordered all ministries, agencies and government departments to return to the treasury all unspent monies, but the two ministers together with the principal officers of the health ministry flouted the president’s directive and proceeded to spend N300-million from the ministry’s account on Christmas bonuses.
Olusegun Adeniyi, special adviser on communications, said the sack would enable the ministers and the affected officers clear themselves of the EFCC charges.
The six-paragraph statement reads: “President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua today (Tuesday) accepted the voluntary resignations of Adenike Grange, minister of health, and Gabriel Aduku, minister of state health.
“Both ministers are leaving the Federal Executive Council following charges of corruption brought against them by the EFCC.
“It is expected that without the burden of their ministerial duties, they will be better placed to respond to the charges against them.
“President Yar’Adua has also ordered Ebele Okeke, head of the civil service of the federation to direct that Simon Ogamdi, permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health; H.B. Oyedepo, director of administration, and Hanafi Muhammed, director of finance, who participated in the subversion of his (Yar’Adua’s) directive on the return of unspent budget 2007 funds to the treasury, should proceed on immediate suspension in accordance with extant civil service rules pending further disciplinary action by government.
The norm under the previous administration was to embark on an end-of-year spending spree in a bid to exhaust all budgeted funds, with a chunk of money shared by officials as bonuses.
Over a dozen federal legislators, including Iyabo Bello-Obasanjo — former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s daughter who chairs the Senate committee on health –were alleged to be among beneficiaries of the spending spree.
Other suspended officials are M.S. Hamid, a director in the ministry; Abdulrahaman Ambali, chief accountant; Donald Ekanem, principal administrative officer; Donatus Iyang, principal transport officer, and seven other civil servants in the ministry.
The development marks Yar’Adua’s first demonstration of his pledge to have zero tolerance for graft amidst growing expectations from the business community that indicted officials be subjected to the dictates of the law.
Hassan Lawal, minister of labour, has been directed to take-over and oversee the affairs of the ministry until further notice.
Yar’Adua had in December 2007 ordered all ministries, agencies and government departments to return to the treasury all unspent monies, but the two ministers together with the principal officers of the health ministry flouted the president’s directive and proceeded to spend N300-million from the ministry’s account on Christmas bonuses.
Olusegun Adeniyi, special adviser on communications, said the sack would enable the ministers and the affected officers clear themselves of the EFCC charges.
The six-paragraph statement reads: “President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua today (Tuesday) accepted the voluntary resignations of Adenike Grange, minister of health, and Gabriel Aduku, minister of state health.
“Both ministers are leaving the Federal Executive Council following charges of corruption brought against them by the EFCC.
“It is expected that without the burden of their ministerial duties, they will be better placed to respond to the charges against them.
“President Yar’Adua has also ordered Ebele Okeke, head of the civil service of the federation to direct that Simon Ogamdi, permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health; H.B. Oyedepo, director of administration, and Hanafi Muhammed, director of finance, who participated in the subversion of his (Yar’Adua’s) directive on the return of unspent budget 2007 funds to the treasury, should proceed on immediate suspension in accordance with extant civil service rules pending further disciplinary action by government.
The norm under the previous administration was to embark on an end-of-year spending spree in a bid to exhaust all budgeted funds, with a chunk of money shared by officials as bonuses.
Over a dozen federal legislators, including Iyabo Bello-Obasanjo — former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s daughter who chairs the Senate committee on health –were alleged to be among beneficiaries of the spending spree.
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