Covid-19: We Have Not Received A Kobo From Private Donations – Lai Mohammed
The Presidential Task Force for the Control of Coronavirus (Covid-19), says it is yet to receive any money from the funds donated by the private sector towards the fight against covid-19 pandemic. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a member of the committee and the Minister of Information and Culture, disclosed this on Friday when he appeared on News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum to give update on the activities of the task force in the fight against the pandemic. Mohammed expressed dismay over reported calls by some Non-Governmental Organisation seeking the probe of the task force over the deployment of monies gathered from the donations. “We have not received even one kobo; people want us probed for how we spent monies we have not even seen.”
NAN reports that the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party had, similarly called for the disbandment of the task force to be replaced by Eminent Nigerians Group to manage the donations from the private sector and palliatives from the federal government.
Mohammed said that such criticisms were unfounded. “I can say without any fear that as of this moment, the task force has not received a kobo from anybody. “The only money we will be able to account for is whatever money we receive from the federal government.
“The Nigeria Economy Group-led private sector has said it is not going to give a penny to the task force; it says it will only raise the money and ask us what our needs are,” he explained. Mohammed said that the task force had already compiled the needs. “We have asked for more equipment and facilities, especially for those who might test positive to the virus. “We anticipate a spike in the number of people that will test positive but there should be no cause for alarm.
“What we need now are equipment and bed facilities where those who have tested positive can be admitted because we do not want a situation where there will be no bed space. “When people test positive, it depends on the stage. If it is mild, such persons do not need to go to hospital. It can still be managed at the isolation centres.” The minister said that apart from the equipment such as the testing machines, ventilators and personnel protective equipment, the task force is working on ramp-up training of personnel to handle the equipment.
