Tinubu fires senior government official, announces new appointment

President Bola Tinubu has dismissed Sani Auwalu Balarabe from his position as head of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health for Africa.

Sani Auwalu Balarabe was reportedly dismissed on July 18, amid allegations of embezzling N1.4 billion during his tenure as head of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health (ICOH), according to report.

President Tinubu has named Taiwo Olaniyi as the new chief of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health for Africa, replacing Sani Auwalu Balarabe.

In January, the House of Assembly, EFCC, Ministry of Health, and other government parastatals received a slew of petitions to investigate alleged financial misconduct at the ICOH under Mr Balarabe’s leadership.

The petition claims that Sani Auwalu Balarabe did not engage in any research activities while leading the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health (ICOH), despite the centre receiving hundreds of millions of naira in funding.

“Despite all these budgetary allocations, the centre has refused to produce a single oral health research, which is the centre’s core mandate and the reason for its establishment,” the petition dated January 16 stated, which also stressed that projects commenced under Mr Balarabe’s leadership were allegedly never completed.

“Construction of remodelled dental clinic, construction of remodelled administration block, procurement of project vehicles,” according to the petition, cost the ICOH over N700 million,“ yet there isn’t anything to show for the money expended.”

Mr Balarabe allegedly backdated the letters of appointment for new staff and paid them salary arrears to cover for some of ICOH’s expenses, but the petition alleged he secretly asked the employees to “remit the money back” to a designated account.