The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Presidential Task
Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to account for the N5 billion released by
President Muhammadu Buhari, as special intervention fund to the Nigeria
Center for Disease Control (NCDC).
The PDP in a
statement Wednesday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola
Ologbondiyan said its demand is predicated on allegations that the PTF
has shrouded the funds in unnecessary administrative bottlenecks and
unwarranted political control, which are impeding the smooth running of
activities of the NCDC.
The party called on
President Buhari to demand for an account of the funds so far released
for the pandemic as well as channel the required investments towards
indigenous research for production of treatment drugs, vaccines,
ventilators and other essential kits, especially as the nation witness a
spike of the pandemic.
The party expressed
worry over the recent complaints by the NCDC that it was in desperate
need of essential COVID-19 extraction kits required to tackle the
pandemic and safeguard Nigerians.
This, the
PDP said was in addition to the alleged failure by President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration to urgently mobilize home grown researches into
COVID-19 therapeutics, including drugs, equipment and essential kits to
combat the spread of the virus in Nigerian communities.
“The
PDP therefore demands that the PTF should immediately come clean on the
whereabouts of the fund as well as explain why it had failed to heed to
calls by Nigerians to engage indigenous researchers, virologist and
manufacturers for home grown solutions, particularly in the production
of drugs, text kits as well as ventilators, despite the huge resources
at its disposal.
“It is hoped that the NCDC
intervention fund has not been funneled into the control of an alleged
corrupt cabal in the PTF, where it will be difficult for the Center to
promptly access.
“Our party is concerned that
the PTF had not demonstrated the required capacity towards solutions
beyond its daily media show, complication of figures and needless
photo-ops, while the pandemic continues to spread in our country. “The
PDP notes that this was the reason it demanded for the immediate
reorganization of the PTF to eliminate all underlining political
impediments and allow our known experts to step in and effectively
galvanize our public and private institutions for solution,” the party
said.
