Facebook Twitter Instagram
    RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
    GAINAKO
    • Home
    • News
    • Gainako Projects
      • GPN
      • Market Index
      • Development Tracker
    • Fact Check
    • Politics
    • Human Rights
    • Business Economy
    • Investigations
    GAINAKO
    MoH Samateh (l) and NAO AG Touray

    FactCheck: Did Auditors Omit Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 Management Response in Report?

    0
    By Edrissa Jallow on July 28, 2022 Business Economy, Covid 19, Fact Check, News

    By Edrissa Jallow

    Claim: “…and this was the Management’s response, which, deliberately was ignored by the auditors and they decided not to incorporate it into the Audit Report”

    Source: Minister of Health, Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh

    Two months after the National Audit Office (NAO) released its Phase 1 Audit Report on the Government’s Covid 19 Response, the Minister of Health, Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, assembled members of the press to lament that his Management’s Responses to the audit findings were “deliberately omitted” from the report by the auditors.

    “…and this was the Management’s response, which, deliberately was ignored by the auditors and they decided not to incorporate it into the Audit Report,” Samateh claimed during a press conference held in April 2022 (Watch Video: from 21:01 to 21:15 minutes).

    Minister of Health Dr Samateh (c) Binta S Jawo

    Fact-Check

    On February 9, 2022, the NAO published on its website, a damning “Audit Report on the Government COVID-19 Response – Procurement and Distribution of Medical and Food Items” which stated that the Ministry of Health (MoH) could have saved up to D148, 858, 492 from procurements including Turkish medical supplies in April 2020.

    The publication of the full report was followed by the NAO’s release of the Summary Report (a simplified version) on the Gambia government’s Covid-19 Response on April 23, 2022. It was titled: “Phase 1 of The Gambia’s Covid-19 Response: Procurement and Distribution of Food and Medical Items in the Greater Banjul Area”.

    Health Minister said his ministry submitted a management response and supporting documents to the NAO but it “was neglected”.

    He further highlighted that the pre-procurement negotiations with the company Turkish Medical Services were also omitted in the Audit report.

    In this regard, Health Minister Samateh noted that his office “totally disagreed with this audit finding” because the MoH’s management response was “deliberately ignored” by the Auditors and that “they decided not to incorporate it into the audit report”. Watch the video from 12:12 to 21:13 minutes.

    “The Ministry believes that the series of evidence provided as explained in not less than two management responses backed with the required supporting documents continued to be deliberately ignored thereby inimical to the principles of fair and objective reporting in this regard,” Samateh was also quoted by Kerr Fatou to have said. “The Ministry considered the NAOs’ disregard of the ministry’s view as deeply shocking and a manifestation of the audit team’s adamant resolve to not only attract cheap public attention but also a reflection of aggressive intent seen in some of the audit team members during the Ministry’s interaction with them while on the exercise.”

    Interview and Findings

    In an exclusive interview with the NAO’s Auditor General, Mr Karamba Touray, he said that his Office did not omit any of the Ministry’s covid-19 management responses.

    “No, we did not omit [the MoH’s Management Response]. You can check on our website the management responses are included, we did not omit anything,” Touray told Fact-Check Gambia.

    Fact-Check Gambia looked into the full audit report to establish whether or not the auditors indeed omitted the ministry’s responses to the audit queries.

    Our findings revealed that MOH’s Covid Management Responses were indeed included in the Audit Report and contained in pages 112 to 114.

    One of the concerns detailed in the Audit Report and referred to by the Minister of Health during his press conference is the “failure to negotiate contract terms” on the procurement of medical items worth over D197 million.

    The Audit Report reveals that the “MoH signed a contract for procurement of medical items by World Bank through the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) amounting to $3,946,637 equivalent to about GMD197,331,850 without being negotiated contrary to” section 6.9 of the World Bank Regulations which focuses on proportional fit for purpose and value for money.

    It can be seen that for this particular finding, at least three pages of Management Responses have been included from pages 112 to 114. This is replicated throughout the report which features over 50 different management responses.

    Verdict: Having reviewed the Phase 1 Audit Report of Government’s Covid-19 Response we found the Minister of Health’s claims that their Management Responses are not included to be FALSE.

    It’s important to note that the Covid 19 Report issued by the NAO in April 2022 focuses on the first phase which highlights funds spent on the procurement and distribution of food and medical items. Another Audit Report is being prepared for publication sometime this year as Phase 2 of the Government’s Covid-19 Response.

    This article was first published by FactCheckGambia.org in the link below.

    Fact-Check: Did Auditors Omit Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 Management Response in Report?

    Post Views: 10,486
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Edrissa Jallow

    Edrissa Jallow is a journalist with over three years of experience working for two online media platforms. Mr Jallow joined Gainako News during the Nomination process for the December 2021 Presidential Elections. Since joining Gainako, Mr Jallow has published over 50 stories in less than a year. He is currently a final year student at the Media Academy for Journalism and Communications (MAJaC), a leading journalism training institution in The Gambia. Mr Jallow is currently the Project Manager of The Gambia Parliamentary Newsletter and reports extensively on Parliamentary proceedings.

    Related Posts

    Is FIFA Not Counting Current President Gianni Infantino’s Third Term?

    The Gambia’s Immigration Bill 2023, Set to Replace Current 1965 GID Act after Validation Meeting

    The Gambia was First Country to Submit 2019 Report in New Format

    Comments are closed.

    Categories
    Follow us on Facebook
    Follow us on Facebook
    About

    GAINAKO

    GAINAKO is a news platform that serves you up to date news from Gambia, Africa and the World.

    FOLLOW US:

    Twitter LinkedIn RSS
    RECENT POSTS
    By GainakoMarch 19, 20230

    Hassoum Ceesay: Throne of The Ghost – A Story of Royalty, Death, Mortality and Power

    By Yusef TaylorMarch 18, 20230

    Is FIFA Not Counting Current President Gianni Infantino’s Third Term?

    By GainakoMarch 18, 20230

    The Gambia’s Immigration Bill 2023, Set to Replace Current 1965 GID Act after Validation Meeting

    PROMOTION
    By Edrissa JallowFebruary 13, 20230

    TAF Africa Global Signs Mega Deal with Baldeh Family Real Estate

    By Yusef TaylorDecember 23, 20220

    GPN Launches 2023 Executive Budget Special Edition for October 2022

    By Yusef TaylorNovember 29, 20220

    GPN Launches 2022 SONA Special Edition for September 2022

    Redesigned by Faalen Technologies | Copyright © 2023 Gainako Online Newspaper.
    • News
    • Politics
    • Entertainment

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.