EFCC summons top officials of Nigeria’s Health Ministry

Some key officials of the Federal Ministry of Health have been invited by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, as part of an investigation into alleged financial mismanagement, PREMIUM TIMES learnt

Those invited include Abdulsalami Nasidi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC; Emmanuel Otu, who headed federal college of complementary and alternative medicine; and Ngozi Azodo, director health planning, research and statistics/millennium development goals.

Others include Gwarzo Sanni, director Port Health Services and Durojaiye Adebayo, head of Lasser Fever Project/Avian Influenza Program.

The officials will be quizzed from May 31 to June 2, according to documents sighted by PREMIUM TIMES.

“The commission is investigating a case of criminal conspiracy, embezzlement, abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering in which the following MDAs in your ministry featured,” the EFCC said in a letter addressed to Amina Shamakin, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health.

Mr. Nasidi, the document reveals, will be questioned on Monday by 10 a.m. while Mr. Otu and Ms. Azodo will have their turns 10 a.m. the following day. Messrs. Sanni and Adebayo will be quizzed Wednesday by 10 a.m.

Other past and current officials of the ministry are expected to also be invited as part of the investigation.