Health Minister – Reps: We’ll Provide Details of FG’s Joint Venture Agreements, Concessions in Health Sector
By Juliet Vincent
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate has promised to provide details of the Joint Venture (JV) agreement between BioVaccines Nigeria Limited, May and Baker and the federal government.
To be provided are are also details other partnerships to improve healthcare in the country as directed by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets and Special Duties.
He made the promise while responding to inquiries at an investigative hearing on the various public, private partnership programmes and concessions agreements by the Ministry held by the Committee at the National Assembly.
Speaking on the issues, the Minister said, the Joint Venture agreement between the federal government and May and Baker was done in 2007.
He said, “That was several administrations before this which concessioned the Yaba Lab to May and Baker, a pharmaceutical company, on the basis of an agreement to manufacture vaccines in Nigeria.
“May I say, Chairman, that the percentage based on that agreement that was reached in 2007 was 51% for May and Baker, 49% for the federal government. The documents that we are trying to collect go back to 2007.
“And the more recent information, and we don’t want to present to this committee information that is inadequate, inaccurate.
“But we take the guidance that we will give you the list, the gap, and I will sign it. I personally will sign it when we come back to the committee with regards to the May and Baker”.
Earlier, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Ismail Dabo who made observations on the submissions made by the Minister requested that the Minister to submit evidence of advertisement of the PPPs/concession/lease, expression of interest on leases as well as specific achievements recorded by the Ministry in the period under reference.
The Minister was also directed to provide relevant documents over the lease of land to May and Baker in Lagos and details of transfer of shares to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).
Similarly, Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Ademorin Kuye, told the Minister to provide the documents supporting the Ministry’s N10 Billion equity contribution.
He said, “I also want to bring to your notice that in the document, part of the document submitted, the equity contribution of the federal government. One is 10 billion Naira.
“We take it as part of the information and documents that will be submitted alongside with the pending documents. We want to know where that money is, the utilization of the funds, when the money is being released, where the money has been domiciled.
“Also part of the agreement, Government gave out a landed property in Lagos. We want to have comprehensive documents of the agreement and document of the property, the landed property, to be submitted to this Honourable Committee as well.
“Finally, we want you to clarify to us in your next appearance the share capital of federal government and that of the partners, we want documents showing in detail how the shares have been domiciled, what is for the federal government and what is for the percentage
that belongs to the federal government and that of the partners,” he said.
After his submission, the Minister was given two weeks to re-appear before the Committee with all the relevant documents requested which he obliged and promised to make them available duly signed personally.
