Felicia Madubuchi
Probity. Accountability. Transparency. Integrity.
These are not decorative words in a democracy; they are the moral scaffolding of public service. When public money flows into something as vital as primary health care, these principles must be seen, heard, and verified not merely declared.
When the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare released its now-famous communiqué, “The Red Letter,” authored by Professor Pate it struck a patriotic and moral tone. The statement urged Nigerians to take ownership of their local health facilities after the release of ₦32.9 billion through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). It was stirring, even noble a civic sermon calling citizens to vigilance and shared responsibility.
Yet, beneath the eloquence lay a troubling silence. The letter did not disclose where the ₦32.9 billion went, which 8,000 facilities received funding, or what mechanisms exist for communities to verify spending. It asked for trust without proof. And in governance, trust without transparency is not virtue it is vulnerability.
That is why BudgIT’s Tracka initiative deserves commendation. By filing a Freedom of Information (FOI) request seeking detailed data on the BHCPF allocations down to the specific health facilities, their locations, and the amounts received Tracka has transformed civic exhortation into civic action. It has moved the conversation from rhetoric to record, from appeal to accountability.
If Prof Pate truly believes in participatory governance, it should welcome such scrutiny, not shy away from it. For a global health leader like him, transparency is not just a democratic duty; it is also a diplomatic currency. The credibility of our health reforms depends on whether our systems can withstand the light of public inquiry.
Each unverified naira in the health budget is a risk to public confidence and a stain on the promise of the Renewed Hope Agenda. Nigerians deserve to know that the money meant for their clinics does not vanish into bureaucratic black holes.
Government must therefore match its moral preaching with measurable openness. Probity is not proven by speeches but by systems — open data portals, verifiable disbursement lists, and citizen oversight platforms. To behave above board, one must not merely speak of integrity; one must practise it.
The Red Letter called Nigerians to vigilance. Nigerians have answered by demanding transparency. That is not defiance; it is democracy fulfilled.
Felicia Madubuchi is a Public Health Advocate at Health Hi-Impact, Wuye Abuja.
