BENIN CITY – Mr Michael Ibadan, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH ), has said that the N100 million earmarked for stem cell transplant project was not administered directly by the hospital.
This is contained in a statement signed by the CMD of the hospital and made available to newsmen recently in Benin.
According to the statement, in 2012, the sum N100 million was earmarked in the budget for the stem cell transplant project in UBTH as a Special Intervention Fund.
“The fund was to be administered directly by the Federal Ministry of Health and not the hospital. Efforts by the hospital to ensure that the funds were fully accessed proved abortive.
‘’We were told that the disbursement must be handled by the ministry towards the close of the year; two 60KVA generators were bought for the stem cell unit by contractors unknown to the hospital.
Reports say that the Edo State branch of Political Watchdog of Nigeria, an NGO, had on Nov. 1, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged N100 million stem cell transplant funds given to the hospital in 2012.