Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to provide a clear account of the ₦10 billion Ebola preparedness fund allocated in June.
The demand was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, his Head of Strategic Communication, on behalf of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate.
Atiku’s demand followed the announcement by Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, that the Federal Government had confirmed an Ebola case in Abuja and identified 44 close contacts for monitoring to curb transmission.
Atiku noted that the confirmed Ebola case in the nation’s capital has raised serious questions regarding the government’s level of preparedness and response strategy.
“Ebola is a grave public health threat. Nigerians deserve urgent action, competent leadership and the truth,” he said.
“Instead, the first confirmed case in Abuja has exposed unanswered questions about preparedness, surveillance and the protection of health workers. Tinubu must account for the N10 billion he said would be released immediately in June.”
Atiku demanded that the president disclose full details regarding the awarded contracts, the beneficiaries, the specific supplies procured, the total amount disbursed, and the exact payment dates.
The former vice president asserted that if the funds have not yet been released, President Tinubu must provide a transparent explanation for the delay.
Furthermore, Atiku raised questions about the timeline of the reported case, noting that the patient entered Nigeria on October 5, began showing symptoms on October 7, and visited a private medical facility for treatment on October 11.
He pointed out that authorities did not publicly disclose the situation until October 20—a full nine days after the patient initially sought medical care.
44 contacts not monitored
Atiku stated that private medical personnel managing the case operated without adequate personal protective equipment, noting that the 44 close contacts went unmonitored during that period.
He demanded that the government disclose all steps taken in its response, including initial screening for travel history and exposure, subsequent follow-ups after the patient developed symptoms, and the tracking and monitoring procedures applied to the 44 contacts.
Additionally, Atiku raised serious concerns over the reported absence of proper protective gear for frontline healthcare workers.
“Nigerians deserve answers, and those responsible for these failures must be held accountable,” he said.
Highlighting that President Tinubu had established a presidential task force headed by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, in June, Atiku also criticized the heavy reliance on political appointees in managing the situation.
He argued that the response should instead be spearheaded by medical professionals who possess the requisite expertise and operational capability to take decisive action.
Backstory…
Recall that on June 9, President Bola Tinubu approved the release of N10bn as emergency Ebola preparedness fund to boost the nation’s effort towards preparedness against a possible Ebola outbreak, following renewed cases reported in parts of Africa.
Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. He also added that the intervention aims to strengthen national health security systems and enhance rapid response capacity.
The statement noted that, “The fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and support critical national public health emergency response activities.”
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