COVID-19 funds: NCDC, Foreign Affairs, Health Ministries get N5.6bn, N500m, N48bn 

Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, says the agency has received N5.620 billion for the fight against coronavirus.

He said this on Monday, when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Account.

The committee chaired by Wole Oke (PDP – Osun) held an investigative hearing on spendings of COVID-19 funds.

Ihekweazu said out of N5.620billion, N620million was released to the centre for preparedness the moment COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.

He recalled that N5billion naira was later released for the actual response after the first case was recorded in the country.

The DG explained that N380million was expended on procurement of medical and laboratory supplies.

N250million was deployed of rapid response team across the country and “N192million on emergency procurement of medical equipment”.

N142million was spent on the “engagement of ad hoc staff, N101million on surveillance and response activities.”

Also, N41million was spent on “various repairs and reconstruction works and N34million on training”.

N22million was spent on supporting the supply chains, N6million on risks communication.

Furthermore, Ihekweazu said that “a total of N41million was paid in areas where tax is necessary”.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mustapha Suleiman, disclosed that N500million was earmarked for the ministry.

However, only N250million had been released.

He stated that N164million had been spent on the accommodation and feeding of returnees.

Suleiman claimed that the returnees were not bearing the cost of their hotel accommodation and feeding as reported

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, noted that after the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 was set up, N48 billion was approved for the ministry.

He said the amount was for the provision of infrastructures across the country and that another N21billion was to cater for operations.

Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs told the House that it had not received any fund, NAN reports.