Worried by the N400 billion trapped on the National Primary Health Centre, NPHC task, the Senate on Wednesday dealt with to investigate the factor for deserting the task over the years.

Particularly, the upper legislative chamber mandated its Committee on Health, and Primary Health care and Communicable Disease to find the status of the 100 percent task funds warehouse with the then Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank.

The committees were also asked to investigate the level of development and status of the projects in each of the 774 local governments, perform an evaluation of the specialist and sub-contractors that participate in the tasks.

The Senate resolutions were follow up to the consideration of a movement, titled: “Need to examine the deserted Four Hundred Billion Naira National Primary Health Centre task” jointly sponsored by Senators Ibrahim Oloriegbe (APC Kwara Central) and Sadiq Umar (APC Kwara North) during plenary.

Providing the movement, Senator Oloriegbe, informed that the NPHC was started by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 to build in each of the 774 local government areas in Nigeria, a 60-bed primary health centres which were to be complemented with a three-bedroom flat, medical professionals quarters, an ambulance, all basic healthcare facility devices and drugs.

To attain this, he stated, “the federal government subtracted monies from the excess crude account of all the 774 local government locations on a regular monthly basis, warehoused the very same with the then Platinum Habib Bank (now Keystone Bank) until the funds required for the actualisation of the project was recognized.”

Senator Oloriegbe stated the costs of quantities for the projects was prepared by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and authorized by the Bureau of Public Procurement, wondering that regardless of all these, “the agreement for the execution of the jobs in the entire 774 city government locations, was granted to Messrs Mattans Nig. Ltd with no recognized tendering and choice process.”

He noted that the business sub-contracted out the jobs to experts and sub-contractors without any confirmation of capability and abilities to correctly execute the jobs and without the permission of the federal government or its companies included then.

Contributing, Senator Umar the delivery of good health care to Nigerians is an element that can guarantee the advancement of the country, observing that the recorded successes in healthcare shipment in industrialized climes are directly connected to the quality of primary health services.

“The essential policy for main healthcare in Nigeria is that every ward throughout the country need to have a functional main healthcare centre where people can access healthcare delivery to be able to take care of maternal death rates that we are worried about and other related health problems,” Umar stated.

He regreted that the National Primary Health Center jobs dispersed throughout the different constituencies have been deserted by the specialists, a few of whom are unknown.

On his part, Senator Matthew Urhogide (PDP Edo South), stated the merit of the NPHC project can not be downplayed in view of its importance to healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

According to him, the job was expected to be the basis for the establishment of primary health centres in the 774 city government areas.

He revealed that just recently, a few of the agents of companies who were granted the contracts appeared prior to a few of the Senate Committees to claim that they have actually not been paid for the execution of the tasks.

In her contribution, Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti South), stated the deserted task was a “commitment to main health failed”.