The House of Representatives are currently meeting with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to account for the funds allocated and donated to the fight against the pandemic.

A joint committee of the House is handling the “engagement”.

Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; and the Minister of Health, Prof Osagie Ehanire, were represented by permanent secretaries.

Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu; and the National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, are in attendance.

Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts and leader of the joint committees, Mr Wole Oke, said the engagement was to monitor the expenditure by the PTF‎ and clear the air on “insinuations” about COVID-19 funds.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of the SGF, Olusegun Adekunle, said a total sum of N22,163,130,411‎ had so far been released to the PTF’s operations account‎.

“Out of this, what has been utilised is N164,929,475 to cater for the management of the affairs of returnees (evacuees) from different parts of the world,” he said.

He also said the balance remains in the account, opened‎ by the Accountant-General of the Federation with the Central Bank of Nigeria.