Covid-19: Why government cannot share private donations as palliative - Lai Mohammed
- FG will not use funds donated to fight against coronavirus for palliative
- This was disclosed by Lai Mohammed who was reacting to Nigerian's call for the money to be used for such
- Meanwhile, he said the Presidential Task Force for the Control of Coronavirus is not with the money nor in control of it
The federal government says funds donated by the private sector towards fighting coronavirus are meant for development of healthcare infrastructure and cannot be used to provide palliatives during lockdown.
The minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave the explanation on Tuesday, April 14, when he featured on a Radio Nigeria programme, “Politics Nationwide”, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mohammed was responding to comments from Nigerians requesting that part of the billions of naira being donated by public-spirited individuals and private institutions should be shared to the people to cushion the effect of the extended lockdown.
The minister said that the Presidential Task Force for the Control of Coronavirus was neither with the money nor in control of it, and could not share a penny from the fund to anyone.
“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.
“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.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the head of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has said that while the country continues to increase measures to stamp out coronavirus, people must not go hungry.
The RCCG pastor said that whatever measures are put in place, Nigeria would overcome, The Nation reports.
Adeboye made this known through the resident pastor at RCCG, region 12, Sagamu, Julius Olalekan, while he was making donations on behalf of Adeboye in Ogun communities.
Items donated ranged from cartons of noodles, bags of rice, and other food items that have run into millions of naira.
The pastor said that their gesture was according to the religious doctrine in Second Kings chapter 7 where the city of Samaria was on lockdown, saying like them, Nigerians would come out of the situation.
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"Our Father-in-the Lord and General Overseer of RCCG, Daddy Adeboye has directed that it doesn’t matter what is happening, the people must be fed, we must not allow our people to go hungry due to the lockdown order to combat Covid-19," he said.
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Source: Legit.ng
