By James Ogunnaike
Ogun State government, yesterday, described as false, a news report, which claimed that the Federal Government refused to make COVID-19 reimbursement to the state because of pervasive corruption.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr. Kunle Somorin, the state government said contrary to insinuations in the fake report, the Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, NG-Cares, programme is not a COVID-19 intervention, but a post-COVID economic stimulus package for poor and vulnerable people in the society, as well as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSME’s, that were most negatively affected by the pandemic, in terms of disruptions to livelihoods and businesses, respectively.
He added that the states that had been reimbursed so far are only the first set of beneficiaries.
Somorin said: “The so-called bombshell report is mere comedy taken too far, as the authors decided to hold brief for the Federal Government without carrying out basic research.”
Tracing the origin of the programme, he said: “The NG-Cares Programme, funded by the World Bank, was originally designed as a loan to the 36 states.
Source: Vanguard