The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to ensure that state governments account for funds allocated to them.

The minister gave the assurance while declaring open a review meeting on health sector humanitarian response in the North-East on Thursday in Abuja.

He said state governments must be accountable to those who voted them into power in view of service delivery.

He noted that the Federal Government was ready to make governments at all levels accountable to every penny accrued them.

According to him, state governments are supposed to bring healthcare services closer to the people.

He added that the Federal Government was more interested in what state governments had done with the money given them.

“We want to look at service delivery and efficiency to ascertain if actually the poor masses that voted people into positions are benefitting from good services.

“In doing this, we want to be accountable and be responsible to the populace because under a democratic dispensation, government must be accountable to the people and every money spent we must be accounted for.”

The minister also assured Nigerians of Federal Government’s commitment to device a means that would ensure effective healthcare services to Nigerians.

He assured donor agencies, among others, of Federal Government’s commitment to ensure efficient healthcare delivery to those affected by conflict.

Chikara Yoshimura, Japan’s Head of Economic Development Cooperation, lauded the successes recorded by Nigeria with regards to humanitarian responses, but described the security situation as volatile.

Yoshimura said Japan had funded projects to strengthen sexual and reproductive health services in conflict-affected communities in the North-East.

According to him, such intervention is to increase availability and utilisation of life-saving reproductive health commodities and services among vulnerable groups affected by conflict in Borno, Adamawa, Borno and Gombe states.

He added that such efforts had contributed toward protecting the dignity of affected and vulnerable women and adolescent girls.

“The implemented activities have strengthened the capacity of health workers and institutions in the affected states and communities to provide integrated sexual and reproductive health services.

“It had also increased the capacity of communities and institutional structures and provided HIV services to young people.

“I appreciate the responses from UNFPA and other UN agencies for rapidly engaging with the government of Nigeria to develop a package of UN multi-sector interventions.” (NAN)

•Photo shows Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole.

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