by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Kaduna State, Mohammed M. Shuaibu, has said anything that remains of the 1 percent (or the N70 million) of the Consolidated Revenue for Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) would still be paid “when the situation of things surrounding paucity of funds improved.”
The Permsec disclosed this during an advocacy visit on the management staffs of the ministry by Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM) advocacy sub-committee late Wednesday to advocate and draw attention to the monies.
According to Shuaibu, he had always been with KADMAM, “struggling and pushing for release of funds” when he was in the ministry of health, adding that, the finance ministry had never refused to release cash backing.
He, however, explained that the ministry had always been constrained by paucity of funds that perhaps had always been the challenges of the previous administration in the past 4-5 years that was very turbulent in terms of liquidity wise.
While he commended KADMAM as one of the most serious Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) supporting Kaduna State and its heath sector with enormous appreciation from the state for their contribution glaringly manifesting, through which the past government was able to deliver what people are today appreciating them for.
He, however, noted that “The issue of 1 percent – that’s the N70 million outstanding order – was affected by issue of paucity of funds, so to say,” also adding that not all months were actually paid because of the situation the state had found itself.
Also clarifying through one of the directors, Shuaibu stated that the Consolidated Revenue is still open, saying it would be paid as soon as improvement of funds are made. “We are doing our best; we will continue to prioritize issues of health,” he stated.
The Permsec also revealed that during the last meeting held between them and past administration’s leadership, it was resolved to prioritize due to paucity of funds, but lamented that health and other relevant sectors prioritized could not even be cash-backed before elections and handing power, which led to the freezing of MDAs’ accounts by incumbent government, intending with the rules.
On Federal Government counterpart funding for basic health provision and others, both body realised that the fund has not been released to the state, and promised to liaise with sister national CSO to advocate for it.
Earlier, after introduction, KADMAM Secretary-General, Isah Gidado, who led members of KADMAM advocacy sub-committee and RMNCAH champion, briefed the ministry of the working of about 45 members, aimed at saving the lives of pregnant women and children in the state, voluntarily.
Also earlier in her remarks on the purpose of the visit, KADMAM advocacy sub-committee chairperson, Mrs Dorcas Adeyemi, said they were in the finance ministry, charged with the responsibility of cash backing, to know the status of the 1 percent (or N70 million) the executive promised to support KADCHMA.
She also drew attention and sought to know the position of 25 percent counterpart funding of basic health care provision funds expected from federal government, and 25 percent from state as its counterpart funding, the issue of commodities purchase as well as cash backing for all relevant budget outlines that’ll bring about service delivery to reality.
Mrs Adeyemi said KADMAM has done quite a lot of activities through advocacy, as the ministry must have had with evidence sub-committee, among others, reviewed health budget and came out with some scorecards.
“We are now looking at the budget performance of the health budget in the state; the one we are not comfortable with it, we share with the ministry of health and other relevant MDAs where we later discovered that the issue of cash backing becoame problems, as advocated.
“And all of us, as advocates and citizens, service delivery is our problem and, if there is no cash backing, service delivery will suffer. Based on that, we’ve come to finance ministry in-charge of cash backing to advocate for it.
“We actually went round all the relevant MDAs with evidences gotten, to the extent that some show us memos and writings for release of funds,” she emphasized.
RMNCAH Champions worked on thematic areas by each champion also including outside Kaduna, is known as, ‘R-Reproductive Health M-Maternal Health, N-Neonate Health, C-Child Health, A-Adolescent Health, E-Elderly Health, N-Nutrition,’ respectively.
