… Nigeria has to get it right to develop our infrastructures
Sponsor of the bill to stop medical tourism by public officers in the country,Honourable Sergius Ogun has said that public hearing on the bill specifying penalty for public officers will go for public hearing next month.
Speaking in a TVC programme Your View transmitted Tuesday,he said that the Bill which has always been in existence as contained in section 46 of the Health Act but now seeks to place appropriate sanctions on erring the rule.
According to him,the country has to get it right at this time adding that a time will come when public officers will be made to seek only public officers when they are in public office such that attention could be paid to public facilities.
In answer to a question,he said that it is nit difficult to determine whether an officer has spent more than his earnings since public officers from the level of commissioner to the President has annual salary they earn.
Saud he,”we have to know that one day we will have to leave public service and return to the people.we can’t be in public office for long”.
He said that all hands have to be on deck to save the country such that anybody who flout the law will have to face the penalty.
He said that the public hearing will determine the level of penalty.
Explaining further he said that when the amendment to the Act us passed into law after adequate public hearing,”no public officer of the federal republic shall be sponsored abroad for treatment except on special cases.”
He said that public officers who prepare budget also use part of it to travel overseas is bad .
He said further that there are existing law’s but there are no sanctions adding that “the amendment is intended to stipulate sanctions.the sanctions is intended to discourage public officers who use medical treatment abroad to steal public funds”.
Honourable Ogun who is representing Esan North and South in the house of representatives said that except on extreme cases such approval for medical treatment abroad has to be approved by a commissioner for health in case of a state commissioner or governor and the minister of health in case of the federal minister.
“The essence is to stop indiscriminate use of public fund and there has to be a penalty.in a constitutional democracy,we cannot afford not to do things the right way in answer to a question from the interviewers,he said the law could be amended such that while in public office all public officers should use public institutions like schools and health facilities including his family such that such public institutions could be developed.
“A time will come in this country when if you are serving in public office your children have to go to public school,use public hospitals and I know we have to get there one day” he declared.
Honourable Ogun recalled that the Bill has gone through second reading but the public hearing was not scheduled by some forces adding, ” now I have resurrected it.i will not say my colleagues are not cooperating but we have to get it to work for us”.
