N31Billion Spent In 4 Months To Fight #COVID-19 – Nigerian Govt Discloses

N31Billion Spent In 4 Months To Fight #COVID-19 – Nigerian Govt Discloses—-The FG of Nigeria has come out to say that it “spent N30,540,563,571.09, representing 84% of the N36.3 billion public funds and donations received to respond to COVID-19 between 1st April 2020 and 31st July 2020, leaving the balance of N5.9 billion.”

This was contained in the response the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris stated due to the Freedom of Information request dated 10 August 2020 and sent to him by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Connected Development (CODE).

In the reply to Mr. Idris dated 4th September 2020, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare and CODE Chief Executive Hamzat Lawal, the organizations said: “We note among others that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 spent N22 billion, and 36 states spent N7 billion to support their COVID-19 initiatives.”

The groups therefore asked Mr. Idris to provide them a breakdown of the following:

Details and breakdown of where the N34.4bn public funds from the Federal Government came from;

Details of specific projects and activities on which the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has spent the N22.16bn, which represents 72% of the money spent;

Details and breakdown of money, if any, spent to provide personal protective equipment to Nigerian doctors and medical workers;

Details and breakdown of the N7bn given to 36 states, and the specific amount of money collected by each state.

“Under the FoI Act, other public institutions or institutions that maybe holding the requested information are obligated to provide the information.”

“Please accept the expression of our highest consideration. Thanking you in advance for your urgent attention to the matter.” They said