By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets and Special Duties has been berated for issuing a query against Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate for what he was not part of when it was done.
The query was issued against the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare under the then Health Ministry’s 2007 Public, Private Partnership (PPP) Concession Agreements.
A Bauchi based Elder Stateman and Politician, Alh Sanusi Baban Takko made the condemnation while speaking to Journalists in Bauchi on Tuesday.
Sanusi Baban Takko who was a strong Member of the APC Elders Relations Committee in the defunct APC Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council Committee (PCC) in build up to the 2023 General Elections, holds the Traditional Title of Barayan Bauchi.
The Elder Stateman faulted the rational behind the purported query issued against the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets and Special Duties, with respect to a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Concession Agreements entered with a Company; May and Baker by the then Federal Government’s directive under the administration of former civilian President, Olusegun Obasanjo via the Federal Ministry of Health in 2007.
According to him, the fundamental question that is earnestly begging for an answer is; What was the basis for issuing “query to the present Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, for an agreement, entered into, when he was not even in the know and was not in office then?
He stressed that,”What everyone expected the House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets and Special Duties to have done, is through the laid down procedures of resolution of the House, summoned the then Minister of Health in for President Obasanjo’s Government for an explanation on the contentious issue on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement, instead of directly issuing querying-invitation to Professor Ali Pate on the issue he no nothing about.”
The Politician added that,”Interestingly, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, is the first pioneer Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, equally, he is one of our Worthy Ambassador’s from Bauchi State, a true son of the soil whose pedigree and antecedents in our dear State Bauchi, an undisputed Nigerian patriot, and served the nation in different capacities with distinctions, brings honour, dignity and respect to Nigeria without compromising integrity.”
He added that,”He is a highly respected figure within the international community of which his services has always been without any slightest blemished record, and for that, be rest assured that we won’t allow any clandestine moves to rubbish his decades long hard-earned reputations as his integrity remain intact, his legacies and positive footprints are visible, and shall be forever remain indelible on the sands of time.”
” Our major concern is that, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has never been found wanting for any misdemeanor, talkless of being issued with a “query” as purportedly done by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets and Special Duties,” he added.
The Elder Stateman added that,”For the records, Nigeria is operating constitutional democracy, where rule of law, due process are true bastion for advertising the success of any ideal society. In this regards, according to section 36(12) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended says; “No one shall be punished for an offence, unless the offence is known to law, and punishment as prescribed.”
“On the strength of this constitutional provision, it is unscientific, unethical and cantercorous for a query to be issued by the mentioned House Committee to the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, without due process of law, for what was done by a previous government or even any successive administration’s,” he added.
According to him,”My candid advice on behalf of hundreds of thousands of people from our constituency is that, since records shows the agreement was entered into by the then Minister of Health under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets and Special Duties should be courageous enough to summon the then Minister of Health in that government for proper accountability sake.”
He stressed that,”Instead of distracting the capacity serving Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, who is religiously with deep commitments and working assiduously implementing President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on health and social development for the betterment of Nigeria, Nigerians and global community at large.”
He concluded stating,”Conclusively, we want to say without any iota of doubt that, Mainasaran Bauchi, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, remains one of our shining stars, exemplary leader, seasoned physician and an international statesman representing the good people of Bauchi State at the Federal Executive Council (FEC).”
He added that,”He is helping and unrelenting to implement lofty Programmes of our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, for the common good of all Nigerians. As our continuous support for him remain sacrosanct, as well as 1001 Percent, as he remains our true beacon of hope. Any distraction on set goals toward bringing sanity and prosperity in Nigeria’s health sector while taking it to global standard shall be resisted.”
