APC council says ₦10bn Ebola fund remains untouched

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council said the ₦10 billion approved for Ebola preparedness remains unspent, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar demanded a detailed accounting and questioned the government’s response to a confirmed case in Abuja. In a statement dated October 22, council spokesperson Dele Alake said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and other surveillance agencies had used other available resources. The council did not provide financial records to substantiate its claim that the allocation had not been spent. President Bola Tinubu approved the funding in June and ordered its immediate release to strengthen preparedness for Ebola and other public health threats. The council’s statement did not explain why the funds remained unused four months later, according to the reported account. Atiku, through spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, called for the government to publish the amounts disbursed, payment dates, contracts, beneficiaries and items delivered. His statement also questioned surveillance, contact tracing and protections for health workers. It said the patient arrived in Nigeria on October...