Director of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Nangere Local Government area of Yobe State, Ibrahim Lawan, who was suspended for diverting Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), for malnourished children, has confessed to committing the offense.
The officer has therefore, appealed to the state government to temper justice with mercy, saying that he is already cooperating with ongoing investigations into the matter.
Ibrahim Lawan said that he conspired with some staff of the PHC and stole the therapeutic food supplements, but that the quantity is not as huge as claimed.
“The allegation was that I diverted about 120 cartons. This is not true. “However, I take responsibility for all that happened since I was the leader at the time. “Therefore, I am appealing to the state government to temper justice with mercy, because since I have cooperated and made investigation easier for them.”
The Yobe State Primary Health Care Board had suspended Ibrahim Lawal for “diverting and misusing” the food supplements.
The board’s spokesman, Adamu Abba, who announced the suspension in Damaturu, the state capital, said that a five-member committee had been set up to investigate the matter.
After announcing Lawan’s indefinite suspension, the board named Ibrahim Disa as acting director of the PHC in Nangere.
Ibrahim Disa is expected to be on the saddle pending the outcome of the investigation. Furthermore, The investigation committee was tasked to recommend a strategy for ensuring accountability in the distribution of the supplements and other medical consumables. The RUTF is a packaged highly nutritious food supplement used in treating severe and acute malnutrition in children.
Source: Neptune Prime
