The Federal Government has released a N620 million, which is the second tranche of the funds needed to tackle the menace of globally-threatened COVID-19 disease. This brings the amount release so far to N984m, according to the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
The ministry said Friday night that it had earlier released the first tranche of N364 million to the health authorities.
“The approval by President Muhammadu Buhari for the release of funds to tackle COVID-19 was an emergency and the process of releasing the fund was also an emergency as it was an unexpected expenditure.
“The process of releasing the second tranche has been concluded with the release of N620 million this morning, bringing total release to N984 million,” Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi
Special Adviser, Media & Communications, to the Minister of Finance , Budget and National Planning confirmed in a press statement.
Responding to a BusinessDay enquiry yesterday, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, promised that the second tranche of the needed fund would be released Friday following a public outcry.
There were concerns raised by the Senate president, Lawal Ahmed mid week that the government appeared not be making adequate preparations towards a possible spread of the disease.
Lawal had visited a supposed site for the Abuja isolation centre on Wednesday but was shocked that nothing was on ground at the time.
Onyinye Nwachukwu, Abuja
