CIVIC-TECH organisation, BudgIt foundation, has demanded that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, now Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PSC-COVID-19), release its audit report on Covid-19 spending. BudgIt said it will like to know how the money was spent by PSC-COVID-19. It added that accountability was undermined by PSC by its lack of adequate information on the amount of money spent, and also on the actual impact it had.
Cheif Executive Officer (CEO) BudgIt, Gabriel Okeowo, made this statement in Abuja at the Audit Coalition Meeting with special focus on covid-19 spending. Director BudgIt Abuja, Tolutope Agunloye, who represented the CEO at the occasion, said his organisation wants to know the actual impact that the spending had on more disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, such as women and those living in poverty.
He said, “With the latest news report by PUNCH, the Federal Government through the Health Minister received a total of N141.1bn from donors in seven categories. From the United Nations basket fund, it was highlighted that Nigeria received N22.6bn in donations; CACOVID donated N43.2bn, oil and gas industry, N21.4bn; development partners group on health, N42.9bn; and GAVI, N4.5bn. The Federal Government also noted that it received private donations to its accounts to the tune of N2.0bn while other donations worth N4.04bn were received, making a total of N141.1bn in 2020.
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“On how it spent the funds, the Federal Government explained, “In December 2020, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 reported on the resources the country received from donors, private sector and the government’s contributions. These donations, which included technical support, were largely used for the supply of consumables, tests, equipment, logistics management, case management, risk communication, and information management systems for the national response to COVID-19.
“It is our hope that this engagement presents a veritable opportunity to demand for an audited report on the use of COVID funds in Nigeria and also identify transformative actions and solutions for National and subnational governments, parliamentarians and other key stakeholders responsible for the publishing of an audit report.”
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