A non-governmental organization, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has called for the accountability of funds donated to combat Coronavirus pandemic.
This was contained in a statement made available to POLITICS NIGERIA on Monday. It was signed by the group Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani.
Rafsanjani also applauded the composition of the Presidential task force on Covid19 was a welcomed decision.
He said: “In times of global public emergency, proactive measures to ensure judicious utilisation and distribution of these funds are needed more than ever.
“Inclusion of media and other accountability entities in the committee would compel transparency and accountability in the utilisation and dissemination of managed funds.
“At this critical junction, Nigeria cannot afford mismanagement and misappropriation of public and donated funds..
“We on this note have no hesitation to state that diversion or misappropriation of the funds would be tantamount to total betrayal, unpatriotic, unsympathetic and selfishness in the management of the nation’s treasury which are punishable under relevant laws.
“While we monitor with keen interest response of various authorities to the commitment of the Federal Government towards alleviating impacts of the newly pronounced lockdown in some states, we demand sincere effort to ensure relief materials and other financial and material assistance are deployed accordingly to citizens irrespective of their socio-economic status with a holistic and transparent strategy to adequately appropriate relief package to citizens at the grassroots level”
