The Federal Government has announced that the funds donated by the private sector for the fight against Coronavirus can not be shared as [alliatives to Nigerians.
According to the government, the funds are meant for the development of healthcare infrastructure.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Tuesday, 14th os April 2020 when he featured on a Radio Nigeria programme, “Politics Nationwide”, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Lai Mohammed gave this explanation in response to comments from Nigerians as regards these funds.
Nigerians have requested that part of the billions of naira being donated by philanthropic individuals and private organisations should be given to the people to minimise the effect of the lengthened lockdown.
But the minister has said that the Presidential Task Force for the Control of Coronavirus was not in control of it, and could not share a penny from the fund to anyone.
He said, “The private sector donors are not giving any cash to the federal government and they have made this clear to the people.
“They said they will support the fight against the pandemic by asking government where they want healthcare infrastructure to be provided.
“What government has done is to request them to build a 30-bed isolation ward and a 10-bed Intensive Care Unit in each state in the country, he said.
“In addition, the federal government has given them a list of equipment and commodities that will also be needed.
“Therefore, the issue of using their donations to provide palliative cannot arise,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria was leading other African countries providing palliative to citizens as the battles against COVID-19 continues.
He recalled that on March 18, government deducted N20 from the price of petrol and later removed N2 again.
The price of petrol was N145 per litre to but was reduced to N125 per litre, with that reduction going further down to N123.50 per litre.
NAN reports that 30 million dollars (about ₦11.4 billion) have recently been donated by the NNPC and 33 of its partners
In addition to that, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had said that monetary contributions by the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), sums up to about N15 billion.
According to details of the contributions, the CBN and Aliko Dangote Foundation contributed N2 billion each.
Abdul Samad Rabiu (BUA Sugar Refinery), Segun Agbaje (GTB), Tony Elumelu (UBA), Oba Otudeko (First Bank), Jim Ovia (Zenith Bank), Herbert Wigwe (Access Bank) and Femi Otedola of Amperion Power Distribution donated N1 billion each to the relief fund.