by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
In what could be described as “religiously-induced favoritism and accountability crises” has surfaced in a Kaduna-based health-related CSO, popularly known as Maternal Accountability Mechanism In Kaduna Initiative (KADMAM).
The healthcare-related CSO is currently faced with challenges emanating from the recently conducted facility spot checks and Mechanism Bank account alerts.
While the former had to contend with issues concerning the Chairman, Knowledge Management and Communication (KMC) Sub-committee, the later had to do with complaints from the Treasurer of the Mechanism: a case of when accountability became uncountable.
Both the Treasurer and the Chairman KMC are partly on their way-out having been booted out and removed from KADMAM groups chats by the Co-chairman of the Mechanism, Mr. Garba Mohammed.
But whether the decision to remove the duos from Mechanism was singlehandedly taken by the Co-chairman or in consonance with the management or larger house, is a matter of conjecture, as the answer remains uncertainty.
However, the cold war, which metamorphosed into full-blown crises, started between the current Mechanism Co-chair, the Chairman KMC Sub-committee and his own Secretary over facility spot checks largesse.
The trouble began when the KADMAM Co-chair, who earlier pleaded Chairman KMC, to carry his Secretary, Ibrahim Mohammed, along for the facility spot check project held in November 2025, took sides with the later, over Ikara LGA spot check largesse.
The Co-chair reportedly concealed some vital information, and instigated the KMC Secretary against his Chairman during management meeting held in KADMAM office at the heat of the crises, according to the KMC Chairman.
According to KMC Chairman, the Secretary KMC appointed late when the spot checks facility beats have already be shared and allocated to each members of the CSO, based on proximity, accessibility and request, to ensure its successful coverage for December 2024 #OpenKadunaHealthSectorDialogue quarterly presentation.
KMC chairman argued that, based on the 3 requirements, he was allocated Chikun LGA of his residence for the spot check beat, to spot check a secondary health facility and some primary health facilities randomly selected under the LG, respectively.
KMC Chairman also said, he quickly accepted with Co-chair, his friend, to carry Ibrahim Mohammed along, as a Journalist colleague and as Secretary of KMC, following Co-chair’s appeal without any objection or delay, unknown that there was a hidden agenda.
“Suddenly, the story changed; his spot check beat was changed, from Chikun LGA to Ikara LGA, without his consent and prior knowledge of a place more accessible to KMC Secretary.
He complained that Ikara, the new place of his spot check is over a hundred kilometers away from Kaduna metropolis where he resides, and also adding that the change was done without any iota of his consent, unlike many other members.
“I, therefore, asked the KMC Secretary that I carried along, who is from that side, and who understands Hausa more than me, to go for the spot check on our behalf, knowing full well that the facility check was strictly based on one person per each LGA,” he said.
Therefore, KMC chair’s main grouse against Co-chair No.1 is that, no two persons were paired or allocated to one spot check for LGAs and, therefore, feeding, accommodation, transportation and other logistic arrangements were strictly for only one person all through.
“The facility spot check project is also such that even, if two or more people should be allocated to two and the two embark on tour of the facility spot check in a LGA, only one person will be captured and paid the token earmark by funding donor Partners, for the exercise aimed at supporting to improving healthcare service delivery for the good of citizenry in Kaduna State,” he explained.
In line with above, KMC Chairman had to ask his Secretary to go, but made him to understand that the exercise is strictly meant for one and not two persons, following the censors and lists of successful members made available previously.
KMC chair, however, expressed dismay that suddenly, his Secretary could no longer pick his call after the allowance was eventually paid to his account after some delay, but wondered that, that same person picked his calls throughout the spot check exercise, to know his well-being, and adequately replied all his chats.
He also expressed shock that when he reported to the co-chair – that, Secretary no longer picked calls after collecting spot check money – Garba only asked him to go and sort out their case themselves, saying, “In fact, he ignored my first call and chats. He reluctantly told me: ‘Go and sort your problem out with KMC Secretary,’ after informing him of the sordid development.”
Worse of all, KMC chair lamented that the co-chair refused to agree that he was the one who actually brought Ibrahim and pleaded that they should be carried along, and also wondered that Garba could keep his mute, despite pressures on him to respond to the allegation throughout the meeting, prompting KMC chair to walk out of their meeting.
“Garba’s continued silence and refusal to answer my question, coupled with members’ poor or deliberate quietness, provoked KMC who walked out of the mgt meeting, believing that Garba knows everything, and that the spot check is meant for one person each, and did not pair any other members except KMC,” he stated.
KMC chair also noticed conspiracy; wondered that Ibrahim could deny that Garba pleaded for him to be carried along, challenging KMC chair to tell the mgt where and when they had such meeting or agreement to carry him along and to also represent him at the spot check in Ikara.
KMC chair had earlier sensed scheming and planned replacement when the secretary’s name subsequently came No.1 for Chikun LGA and made him No.2 in the latest lists of the spot check posted by the Co-chair, also sensing conspiracy and biasness.
Similarly, earlier before KMC crises, the Treasurer of the KADMAM had consistently complained bitterly of “suspicious gain plan” for not receiving alerts when monies are logged, withdrawn or removed from KADMAM bank account jointly-signed with the Co-chair.
The treasurer, Rukayyatu, had angrily announced withdrawal of her name and signature from KADMAM bank account, in the WhatsApp group chat, when her complaints were made mockery instead of entertained by the management as anticipated.
Subsequently, not withstanding her complaints, her numbers were also suddenly, rudely and singlehandedly removed from KADMAM WhatsApp group chat by the Co-chair without her consent.
Her number was, however, later brought back to a KADMAM group chat when they discovered her financial membership checkup dues are up-to-date, but that of KMC chair could not be returned hitherto. There were series of advice on the need for external auditing of the CSO account, but to no avail, as they were disregarded.
Established in 2015 with support from the UKaid/DFID-funded MNCH2 programme, KADMAM is a State-Level Accountability Mechanism (SLAM) comprising government agencies, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional and religious institutions, and the media. An accountability mechanism but not accountable.
The KADMAM Treasurer’s intervention on the case of KMC chair and herself, in an audio voice note record, sent to co-chair and shared with me on Friday shows below: although it was not taking for anything serious by the co-chair.