The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has set up a team charged with preventing the mismanagement of the COVID-19 special intervention funds.
It said this is in execution of its preventive mandate in Section 6 (b)-(d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
According to a statement made available on the official website of the commission on Thursday, the team will monitor the disbursement and utilisation of the funds, donations and other receipts mobilised towards combating the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country.
“The Team will deploy appropriate strategy to prevent incidences of corruption that may have negative impact on the efforts of government to deal effectively with the pandemic and its work will complement the efforts of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 with regard to transparency and accountability in the management of the funds.
“While the Commission salutes all those in the frontline of battling the outbreak and everyone facilitating the national effort behind the scene, it hereby reiterates its earlier advisory to all actors in the management chain of the COVID-19 response to steer clear of all unethical and corrupt acts that could result in criminal investigation and consequences,” the agency said.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Nigeria currently has 276 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 44 persons discharged and six deaths.
Groups, business tycoons and political bigwigs like the NNPC, UBA, Globacom, Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Folorunsho Alakija, Tony Elumelu, Abdusalmad Rabiu, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Otedola, Atiku Abubakar and others have donated billions of naira and relief materials to the federal government to fight the pandemic.
Civil society organisations have asked the federal government to properly account for how the donated funds will be spent.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who has released some funds to battle the pandemic, has also said the national task force on coronavirus, headed by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha, will coordinate the handling of the funds and all donations.
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