Restriction threatens National Assembly’s consideration of N500bn Intervention Fund
She said: “What we are proposing is an establishment of a N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund. This fund that we are proposing will involve mopping up resources from various special accounts of the government as well as that of the federation, to pull together a sum of N500 billion. Our general view is that the crisis intervention fund will be utilised to upgrade healthcare facilities as earlier identified.”
On how the fund would be pooled, the minister said the fund would be drawn from various special accounts, grants being expected and loans from multilateral institutions.
President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, had appreciated the federal government for the palliatives being handed to Nigerians but called for more interventions apart from distributing cash.
“I think the time has come for us to redefine the implementation of the Social Intervention Programme probably. Going out to communities to give them N20,000 per person might not be the best way to go. It is still an effort, but I think we need a better approach that will be more efficient. The federal government also needs to be in a position to improve health care facilities not only in the states but to provide intervention to the states.
“We know that there will be a need for the parliament to agree and approve the taking of loans from these special accounts and we will be coming back with a proposed bill in that regard that will define what the fund will be used for,” he had said. (ThisDay
