BudgIT, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) committed to fiscal transparency, has tasked the federal and state governments on transparency in providing details of all emergency donations worth over N200 billion towards the battle against COVID-19.
The organisation, in a statement issued by its Communication Associate, Iyanu Fatoba, disclosed that it had also launched a COVID-19 platform to effectively track and monitor the utilisation of the donations received locally and internationally.
It stated that, “So far, the Federal Government and sub-nationals have received the sum of over N200bn from local and international donations in cash and in kind. Recently, the IMF also approved its largest COVID-19 emergency financing package of $3.4bn Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) for Nigeria.”
BudgIT explained that the finance was meant to support the healthcare sector and to cushion the effects of revenue decline on the economy, noting that there was need to hold the government accountable on every penny dispensed for the COVID-19 response.
Commenting on the organisation’s position on the donations, the Principal Lead, Gabriel Okeowo, pointed out that, “If these emergency donations are not properly tracked, monitored and accounted for, the funds can be misappropriated, embezzled and diverted into private coffers without any tangible impact or benefit to the health sector, citizens and the economy as a whole.
“We also enjoin members of the public and other CSOs to collaborate, support and join BudgIT in demanding accountability from both the Federal Government and the sub-nationals via the COVID-TRACKA platform.”
He said the platform would also be used to monitor the distribution of palliatives to the under-privileged and vulnerable across all the states.
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