Global AIDS Fund Explains Nigeria�s Suspension
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From Kingsley Nwezeh and Juliana Taiwo in Abuja
THIS DAY - 06.12.2005
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=35079
More facts yesterday emerged on why the over N30 billion grant
made available to Nigeria for the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuber-
culosis and malaria by an international financial institution,
Global Fund, was suspended.
This was coming just as activists called for President Olusegun
Obasanjo�s intervention on the matter.
In a letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Health by the
fund�s Chief of Operations, Mr. Bradford Herbet, titled: �Pro-
gramme Grant Agreements NGA-102-G03-H,� the Secretariat Phase 2
Review Panel has received the Nigeria Round 1 HIV grants NGA-
102-G01-H entitled: �Expansion of Anti-Retroviral Programme in
Nigeria.�
The letter said �the following serious concerns have been raised
about grant implementation and the ability of the principal re-
cipient to achieve the goals of the grants.�
�Non-achievement of the targets contained in the grant agree-
ment, questionable reliability of the data submitted by the
principal recipient. Clear documentary evidence of the number of
people on Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs rather than just ARV drugs
distributed, is lacking.�
It questioned the �absence of an adequate monitoring and evalua-
tion system to collect and verify data; low disbursement of
funds as of the grants the PMTCT programme has expended
$2,121,957 (23 per cent of budget) and the ARV programme
$4,175,721 (23 per cent of budget); unfulfilled condition prece-
dent of installing a computerised accounting system that would
allow for traceability of funds 20 months into grant implementa-
tion the CP remains unfulfilled.�
It further queried �the late and insufficient reporting from the
principal recipient; Country Coordinating Mechanism�s rating of
these grants as B1 adequate given the poor performance of the
grants this indicates that there was little analysis into the
problems encountered in implementation and as a result there is
little in the way of recommendations on how to improve perform-
ance.�
In spite of repeated correspondences on the other rounds of
grants, the Fund held that Nigeria was unable to bring itself
into compliance with recent board requirements.
�Although the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) has informed
the Secretariat (Global Fund) that they are in the process of
reforming the CCM, there has been no evidence to show that these
reforms have been carried out. The Nigeria CCM submitted a de-
tailed response to the proposed �No go� classification by the
secretariat of the grants. �After a review of this response, the
Secretariat finds no new information that would warrant a change
in the proposed recommendation and therefore maintains a �No go�
classification for the grants�, it said.
Meanwhile, health activists yesterday called on President Oluse-
gun Obasanjo to intervene in the matter. A press statement enti-
tled �A day of Shame for Nigeria�? and signed by Rolake Odetoy-
inbo, the group asked the Federal Government to restructure
Global Fund structures in Nigeria.
�Because of the need for HIV treatment scale up in Nigeria is so
acute, activists call for the Global Fund not to terminate the
grants but instead for President Obasanjo to implement a sig-
nificant restructuring of the Global Fund structure in Nigeria
including a reconstituted CCM and new Principal recipients. The
current principal recipient, the entity that is legally respon-
sible for grant implementation is NACA�, it said.
NACA coordinator, Professor Babaunde Oshotimehin in reaction to
the issue said Nigeria responded to the query and was still ne-
gotiating with the body.