The House of Representatives, yesterday, grilled the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 over the management of the funding for fighting the coronavirus pandemic in the country, with a threat to order of the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, for ignoring its summon.
The House committee on Public Accounts at an investigative hearing demanded for a formal report on the sum of N83billion approved for the PTF by the Presidency for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chairman of the committee, Wole Oke said the House is determined to ensure effective accountability of all funds deployed for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, including funds from development partners and the private sector.
Oke said Idris has repeatedly failed honour the summons of the Committee, warning that if he fails to appear on June 15, an arrest warrant will be issued against him.
Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the federation( SGF), Boss Mustapha, while responding to the committee’s query said the task force has received a total of N22,163,130,411.
Mustapha, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary (General Services), Mr. Olusegun Adekunle noted that “resources have been mobilised from donor partners but they are not donations that were handed over to the PTF.
“As for the PTF, the Federal Government as at date released N22,163,130,411 to the PTF operations account. Out of this what has been utilised, because we are bound by Procurement Act and we are bound to be transparent and accountable for it, the procurement process commenced then the funds belong to different agencies for utilisation for the PTF to ensure that there is value for money and there is delivery of service.
“The only sum that has been utilised out of that fund and released to the PTF is N164,929,475 and that has been utilised to cater for the management of the affairs of returnees, evacuees from different parts of the world, Nigerians that are stranded from major parts of the world, the rest is still intact it has not been utilized the planning process is still going on. All the activities you see were done through donor support. We also have agencies of government coming to our support. – The Sun.
