COVID-19: Buhari Govt Seeks NASS Approval For N500bn Intervention Fund

A coronavirus isolation centre in Lagos (image courtesy: :Lagos government)

The President Muhammadu Buhari administration has sought the approval of the National Assembly for an intervention fund to tackle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Nigeria.

Concise News reports that Finance minister Zainab Ahmed met with the leadership of the federal lawmakers on Saturday over the Executive proposal.

It was learned that Zainab, with senior officials from her ministry, met with the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila of the House of Representatives.

The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, and the Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase, also attended the meeting.

“What we are proposing is an establishment of a N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund,” Zainab said in a statement.

“This Fund that we are proposing, that should be created, will involve mopping up resources from various special accounts that the government, as well as the Federation, have, to be able to pull this N500 billion.”

The Minister also said, “Our general view is that this crisis intervention fund is to be utilised to upgrade healthcare facilities as earlier identified.

“The Federal Government also needs to be in a position to improve health care facilities not only in the states but to provide intervention to the states.”

Zainab explained to the lawmakers that the fund, if approved, would also take care of special public work programmes being implemented by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

As for the Senate President, he said the meeting was in fulfilment of an earlier promise to provide support as the need arises.

“I think coming to us for those loans is critical because we are in an emergency and time is of the essence. So, we must work as expeditiously as possible to ensure that we place the request before the National Assembly,” he said.

“I think the time has come for us to redefine the implementation of the Social Intervention programme, probably going out to communities to give them N20,000 per person might not be the best way to go. It is still an effort, but I think we need a better approach that will be more efficient.”

Concise News reports that the coronavirus has infected more than 1,002,000 people worldwide, as the death toll surpassed 51,000 while about 208,000 patients recovered.

Till date, Nigeria, with an estimated population of 200 million, has confirmed a total of 209 COVID-19 cases with four deaths within one month.

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