By Olajide Idowu

Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has approved the immediate suspension of Dr Niyi Oginni, Executive Secretary, Osun Health Insurance Agency (OHIS) and Dr Adebukola Olujide, the Head of the Primary HealthCare Development Board in the State.

This is contained in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Malam Olawale Rasheed, on Saturday in Osogbo.

Adeleke also directed the Public Procurement Agency and other relevant government agencies to immediately commence the process of recovering all outstanding tender fees on contract awards, Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs), Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs), among others to which the state government is a party to, in the last four years.

The governor further announced a holistic investigation of the Public Procurement Agency (the Due Process Office) to determine the extent of its culpability in the non-remittance of tender fees to the state treasury and contract manipulation in the last four years.

“The suspension of the two Chief Executive Officers was sequel to the interim report of the Committee on Contracts and MOU chaired by Mr Niyi Owolade which indicted the two agency chiefs of gross abuse of office, mismanagement of public resources and serial violations of agency and public service regulations and laws,” he said.

He added that the committee, in its recommendation, unearthed the unethical practices of the suspended heads of OSHIA and the Primary Health Care Development Board as manifested in contract awards without due process, non-remittance of actual tender fee collected from contractors, contracts without value for money like the PHCs and deliberate splitting of contracts.

“The Committee further found out that the suspended OHIS boss gave contracts to the tune of several millions of Naira to his own biological daughter and his own private Hospital from the agency where he heads.

“The Acting Career Head in the Primary Health Care, in her own case, lied on oath when she falsely denied knowledge of all contracts of infrastructures and supplies in the PHCs, resorting to bulk-passing and blame trading,” he said. (NAN)