President Bola Tinubu has reportedly dismissed Sani Auwalu Balarabe from his position as the chief of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health for Africa.
According to People’s Gazette, Balarabe’s appointment was terminated on July 18 for allegedly embezzling N1.4 billion during his tenure as head of ICOH.
The president has appointed Taiwo Olaniyi as his replacement.
In January, the House of Assembly, EFCC, Ministry of Health, and other government agencies received a flurry of petitions calling for an investigation into alleged financial misconduct at ICOH under Balarabe’s leadership.
The petitions claimed that throughout his tenure, Mr. Balarabe failed to conduct any research despite receiving hundreds of millions of naira.
“Despite all these budgetary allocations, the centre has not produced a single oral health research project, which is its core mandate and the reason for its establishment,” stated a petition dated January 16, which also highlighted that projects initiated under Balarabe’s administration were allegedly never completed.
“Construction of a remodeled dental clinic, a remodeled administration block, and the procurement of project vehicles,” as noted in the petition, cost ICOH over N700 million, “yet there is nothing to show for the money expended.”
Mr. Balarabe allegedly backdated appointment letters for new staff and paid them salary arrears to cover certain ICOH expenses, while the petition claimed he secretly instructed the employees to “remit the money back” to a designated account.
