SERAP Quizzes FG on N10.6bn Budget, Demands Detailed Publication Online

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded that the Federal Government publish a detailed breakdown of the N10.6 billion budget it had earmarked for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

The FG in a meeting with the 36 governors of the National Governors Forum (NGF) had set aside the sum of N10.6bn for the distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccines across the country.

This website had also reported that the sum of N1.4 billion was budgeted for the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and N373m for the purchase of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) kits.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, had also told the leadership of the Senate on December 22, 2020, that the FG should budget about N400 billion to vaccinate 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population.

Reacting on Saturday, SERAP said, “Spending of N400bn to vaccinate Nigerians and N10.6bn on transportation is a public interest issue. It’s a transparency and accountability issue. It’s a human rights issue”.

The organisation further demanded that the FG publish details of the budget as well as making it public for Nigerians to see online.

“Federal Government @NigeriaGov: Publish details including online,” SERAP said.

The nation had received about four million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility on Tuesday, and as of Saturday four frontline health workers, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had received their first shot of the vaccine so far.