COVID-19 Support Fund Exceeds N700 million – PTF

COVID-19 Support Fund Exceeds N700 million – PTF

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has received N792 million from various donors to assist ongoing efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cash donations are separated from non-cash donations made by several individuals and groups.

The Chairman of the Task Force, Boss Mustapha, made this known at the daily PTF briefing on Friday.

He said the donations from individuals, development partners, religious bodies and corporate groups have been credited into the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

“For effective coordination and accountability, the Office of the Accountant General published five bank accounts into which donations could be paid and swept into a CBN TSA account, daily.

“I am pleased to report that the OAGF has published the details of inflow into the FGN COVID-19 Eradication Support Accounts. As at (of) 14th May 2020, the sum of N792,121,613.89 (Seven Hundred and Ninety Two Million, One Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Six Hundred and Thirteen Naira and Eighty Nine Kobo) has been credited into the TSA account from various in-country sources,” he said.

Mr Mustapha also commended the efforts of Nigerians in fighting the ongoing pandemic.

“I particularly want to commend the sacrifice of some ordinary Nigerians typified by the donations as low as one naira, which for us comes from the purest of hearts.”

Mr Mustapha had on April 9 said that for transparency and accountability, the task force will not be directly involved in the collection and disbursement of the cash donations.

He, however, said all non-cash donations shall be duly received by the PTF, “acknowledged, documented and appropriately deployed.”

Health services

Mr Mstapha raised concerns over the reduction in health service delivery in cases not related to COVID-19.

“We have also noticed a marked reduction in the delivery of non-COVID-19 related services in our hospitals,” he said. “The PTF wishes to reiterate this call and request that health service providers should help relieve the burden of disease in the country by offering the required services.”

“As present, records show that we may be experiencing more unnecessary deaths because our hospitals are turning back non-COVID-19 related patients,” he said.