Civil Society Organisations in the country have called on the Federal Government to ensure transparency in the spending of the over N30bn so far donated by individuals and corporate bodies towards combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
They called for the inclusion of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, as well as the Federal Government’s NEC Special Committee on COVID-19 chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
The CSOs said they believed that inclusion of the EFCC would strengthen the mechanism for public accountability and transparency.
The CSOs, led by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, include the Centre for Democracy and Development; Women Advocacy Research and Documentation Centre; Journalists for Democratic Rights; Civil Society Network Against Corruption; HURIDAC; Green Peoples Environmental Network; Nigerian Human Rights Community; COPEAIDS Foundation; Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection; and the HELP Centre for Development.
In a joint statement circulated by HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the CSOs said, “No one should be encouraged to profit from the current human misery. We urge all government MDAs and special task force to uphold procurement and operational standard and policies in procurement, awards and payments of services and distribution of materials.”
While saying that COVID-19 had exposed the helplessness of Nigerians in the face of a health crisis, the CSOs said they were putting together a bill to accord special economic priority to private and public health institutions for the benefit of all Nigerians. Punch
