‘We Spent N31bn in 4 Months to Fight Covid-19’, Govt Replies SERAP, CODE

Of the N36.3 billion received in public funds and donations for the Covid-19 response federal government has said it spent N30.5 billion between April 1 and July 31.

That leaves a balance of N5.9 billion.

The disclosure is the outcome of a Freedom of Information request passed on the accountant-general of the federation, Ahmed Idris, asking for details of spending on Covid-19 response.

The FOI request was sent in by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Connected Development (CODE).

Both have replied Idris on September 4, noting the presidential task force on Covid-19 spent N22 billion, and that 36 states spent N7 billion to support Covid-19 initiatives.

In a statement, SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare and CODE’s Hamzat Lawal, said, “We also note that the Nigerian Air Force N877 million, Nigeria Police Force spent N500 million on protective gear and another N17,865.09 was paid as bank charges.”

But the documents did not contain “other significant details as indicated in the FOI request”, the groups said.

The FOI request asked for a breakdown of the number of Nigerians who “directly or indirectly have benefited from the spending, and details on plans to spend the balance of N5.9 billion in the COVID-19 Eradication Support Accounts.”

“It is refreshing to note that 115 ordinary Nigerians donated between N1 and N100 to support the authorities’ efforts to fight COVID-19, despite the fact that it is the country’s poorest and most disadvantaged sectors of the population that continue to bear the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.”