The Federal Government says it spent N30.5 billion on efforts to curtail COVID-19 between April and July this year.
The Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, who disclosed this, said the amount represented 84 per cent of the N36.3bn public funds and donations received by the Federal Government to tackle the pandemic.
He said there was a balance of N5.9 billion.
Idris said this in response to a Freedom of Information request jointly made by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project; and Connected Development.
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, said in a statement on Sunday that Idris, in his undated, also indicated that “the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 spent N22 billion; while 36 states spent N7 billion on COVID-19.”
Idris, according to the statement, added that the Nigerian Air Force spent N877 million on the deployment of assets in support of COVID-19 operations; the police spent N500 million on personal protective equipment; while N17,865.09 was paid as bank charges.
While commending Idris for honouring the FoI request, SERAP and CODE, however, urged him to respond to other information requested in the FoI letter, including the specific projects on which the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 spent N22bn and the list of Nigerians who benefitted from the projects.
