FG must account for N10bn Ebola fund, Atiku insists

African Democratic Congress ( ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has insisted that the Federal Government must give a full account of the N10 billion earmarked Ebola Virus Disease emergency response.

Atiku, in a statement by the Director Strategic Communication, ADC Presidential Campaign Council ( PCC), Phrank Shaibu, said the President Bola Tinubu administration has the duty to explain to the country whether or not the money was released.

The former Vice President, who was responding to claims by the All Progressives Congress ( APC) Presidential Campaign spokesman, Dele Alake, that the N10 billion Ebola fund was intact, challenged the government to explain who is in control of the money and why it was not utilized, if it was released.

The ADC candidate, earlier in the week, demanded that the government account for the N10billion Ebola fund, following confirmation of an Ebola case in the country.

However, Alake, in a statement, on Thursday, stated that the money was intact and accused Atiku of attempting to play politics with a public health issue.

Nonetheless, the former Vice President noted that the effects of President Tinubu’s policies are allegedly as dangerous as that of Ebola. He added that while Ebola “destroys lives through disease”, the President’s “policies have made food and medical care unaffordable’ as well as crumbled businesses that Nigerians spent years building.

According to him, “het the APC wants a debate about how two words sound. Atiku Abubakar asked for the money trail and an account of the emergency response. The party in power came back with a pronunciation lesson. What an extraordinary way to tell a frightened country it has no answers.

“On 9 June, the Presidency announced that President Tinubu had ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion for Ebola emergency preparedness. Now, with a case confirmed in Abuja, the APC says the money remains ‘untouched’. It presents that claim as a defence. It is an indictment of the Bola administration.

“Was the money released or was it not? If it was released, where is it held, who controls it, and why has it not been used for the preparedness President Tinubu announced? If it was never released, why was an order for its immediate release announced in June? Publish the release documents, the account records and the Task Force’s expenditure reports. Insulting Atiku Abubakar will not account for one naira.”

Furthermore, Atiku added that the APC says an infected person cannot transmit Ebola before symptoms appear. That is true. It does not answer what happened after symptoms appeared. According to the World Health Organization’s account, the patient developed symptoms on 7th October, sought care at a private facility on 11th October, and received laboratory confirmation on 20th October. When was Ebola first suspected? When were public health authorities alerted? When was testing ordered? When did contact tracing begin?

The APC claims surveillance ‘tipped off’ the government. Then publish the timeline. Name the agency that raised the alert, give the date and explain the action taken. 44 identified contacts are people whose health must be protected. They are not a trophy for an APC press release.

“Health workers treating the patient and tracing contacts deserve protection, equipment and every resource needed to act quickly. Questioning the government’s preparedness is no insult to them. Demanding applause for President Tinubu while refusing to explain an untouched emergency fund is an insult to Nigerians.

“The APC also objects to our warning that a health emergency must never be used to interfere with campaigning or voting. President Tinubu’s government can address that concern directly: publish any proposed restrictions, their medical justification and the advice of the health authorities. Public health guidance must protect people. It must never become a political tool.

“President Tinubu ordered ₦10 billion released in June. His party now says it is untouched. That contradiction came from the Presidency and the APC. They should resolve it with records.

“Show Nigerians where the money is. Explain the response timeline. Protect health workers. Trace every contact. President Tinubu and the APC owe the country answers.”

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