Former Anambra governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has tasked the Federal Government and other concerned agencies on proper accountability and clarity on the usage of funds raised to combat the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.
Obi called on government to carry the people along by clearly accounting for the inflow and outflow of COVID 19 funds.
The vice presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic party (PDP) said it was not enough for government to say a particular amount had been spent without clearly breaking down what the funds were spent on.
He explained that the funds were public funds and as such the public should not be kept in the dark on the breakdown of expenditures of the funds.
Obi also advised the government to adjust their fiscal and monetary policies to suit the challenging times facing the Nigerian economy, noting that excessive borrowing without good cause could cripple the economy further.
He advised that every planned federal expenditure be completely scrutinised to be sure it was worth the cost, as reckless spending of government funds at this critical time would bear down on the economy he said, was already wounded by debts, political irresponsibility and now Coronavirus pandemic.
Obi called on the government to truly factor in the poor and vulnerable into the distribution of relief packages for c citizens affected by the COVID 19 lock down order. He explained that millions of Nigerians were living under poverty when things were considered normal, but that with the current COVID 19 lockdown and global economic crunch, the poverty rate has skyrocket.
“Statistics show that over 40 million Nigerians were unemployed and 19 million Nigerians living below the poverty level when life was considered normal. With the current situation in the country and around the world, I can tell you that the numbers will be higher now,” Obi said.