War Against Injustice (WAI) a Non Governmental Organization, (NGO) has petitioned Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, accusing Executive Secretary, Kano State HealthTrust Fund ( KHETFUND), over the alleged denial of right to access the public information, requested under Freedom of Information Act, 2011 by the Group.
The copy of the petition, sighted by Justice Watch News dated 7th June, 2022 and signed by Comrade Umar Ibrahim Umar, Executive Director of the (WAI).
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In the petition, the Group said that, in 2017 the House passed the Kano State Health Trust Fund Bill into law with aim to reducing or addressing maternal and child mortality due to the frequent occurrence of it in the state.
“The above fund charged with the responsibility to collect 5% from internally generated revenue (IGR) and 1% from statutory federation of the local government councils as enshrined in section 5 (1) and (2) of Kano State Health Trust Fund Law 2017.”
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The Group pointed out that on the 17th August, 2021, through a written application requested information from Executive Secretary seeking him to provide the total sum of money collected from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), 1% from statutory federation allocation of the local government councils, and the total sum of 5% shared to the committee on maternal health care for free maternal health care program and total sum of 10% shared for malaria and nutrition interventions as enshrined in section 12 (e) and (d) of the said law.
Acccording to the petition the Agency was neither response nor released anything to the Group, as requested.
“On 29th December, 2022 we sent him a follow-up letter reminding him to release the above mentioned information as we requested earlier. Neither response nor anything was released to us.”
Similarly in the petition, the Group alleged that the attitude of Executive Secretary KHETFUND has contravened the right given to him by the Kano State Health Trust Fund Law 2017 and that against the spirit and letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by virtue of section 14 (2) (c).
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“In our investigation, we found that, there is no Free Maternal Healthcare Program in the State.”
The WAI explained that Nigeria has been mentioned by the World Health Organization as one of the highest maternal, Neo-natal and Child mortality rates in the World and there is consensus that the rate is very high in Kano State.
The Group however stated that it is imperative to State that the right to Comprehensive and quality healthcare, including Maternal and Child healthcare is a universal right that is guaranteed for Nigerians by the provisions of section 17 (3) (d) and (h) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“Sir, for the interest of justice, we urge you to exercise oversight function of this honourable House and your good office to investigate the above matter and induce him to release us the requested information as required by the Act.”
However, several attempts to hear the response from Executive Secretary, KHETFUND proved abortive as he neither picked several calls to him nor reply to text message of our Reporter.
