The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has grilled the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) over alleged non-remittance of internally generated revenue (IGR) discrepancy in Remita payments amounting to over N2 billion.

The committee also questioned the CMD over extra-budgetary spending without approval amounting to N150.3 billion in the period under review.

Chairman of the PAC, Bamidele Salam alongside his colleagues carried the exercise during their investigative hearing, which began on Wednesday, 21st August and will end Friday, 23rd August, 2024, in Lagos state.

He pledged to ensure all agencies of government comply strictly with budgetary appropriations.

LUTH CMD, Prof. Lanre Adeyemo, who headed his team explained that the hospital is undergoing some challenges that have made its operations very difficult, pointing out that, of all of such, power supply has remained outstanding.

He put the cost of powering the hospital at some point at over N181 million monthly until a Federal Government intervention of 300 solar panels was deployed.

But he was questioned on the untidy work by the LUTH tenders board, contravention of circular on non-payment of staff professional membership fees, among other issues.

His justification of the issues did not convince the committee and it therefore requested for necessary evidences on approvals, spending and adherence to financial regulations.

Similarly, the committee took on the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye on various financial and regulatory infractions.

The members queried Owoeye over the recurring non-remittance of the internally generated revenue (IGR).

He was also questioned for allegedly engaging in extra-budgetary spending, and also the inability to adhere to financial regulations thereby contravening several sections of financial regulations.

The committee equally frowned at the employment principle of the hospital which failed to accommodate the federal character principle of sharing available job opportunities equitably across the geo-political zones of the country.

The committee also demanded that the hospital to account for contract sums of N422.3million as well as the spending of N50.3million on staff training.

The lawmakers told the CMD that they were not satisfied with his explanation as it fell short of the expectations and it therefore requested for records of all the paid for, completed and on-going contracts. (New Telegraph)

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