By Uzair Adam Imam
Ibrahim Lawan, the suspended Director of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Yobe’s Nangere Local Government, has confessed to diverting Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) supplements intended to treat severe malnutrition in children.
The PHC board had suspended Lawan indefinitely and established a five-member committee to investigate the matter.
Lawan admitted to tampering with the supplements along with some staff members, acknowledging that his actions were wrong.”I tampered with some of the therapeutic food supplements, but the quantity is not as much as they alleged,” Lawan admitted in an interview.
He added, “However, I take responsibility for all that happened since I was the leader at the time.”
Lawan claimed that the quantity of supplements diverted was not as much as alleged (120 cartons), but took responsibility for the actions.
He appealed for leniency, citing cooperation with the investigation.”I am appealing to the state government to temper justice with mercy since I have cooperated and made the investigation easier for them,” he said.
The RUTF supplements are highly nutritious food packages used to treat severe and acute malnutrition in children.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition is a significant public health problem in Nigeria, with approximately 2 million children under the age of five suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The investigation committee will also recommend strategies to ensure accountability in the distribution of medical consumables.
The Yobe state government has named Ibrahim Disa as the acting director of the PHC in Nangere pending the outcome of the investigation.