Federal Government has denied reports that the Republic of Madagascar asked Nigeria to pay 170,000 Euros (N78.2m) for the ‘COVID-19 herbal remedy’ sent to the country.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), also the Chairman of COVID-19 Presidential Task Force (PTF), Boss Mustapha denied any knowledge of an invoice for payment.
It would be recalled that media outlets few days ago reported that Madagascar sent Nigeria an invoice of 170,000 Euros (N78.2m).
In contrast, Mustapha has revealed that when he took delivery of the sealed herbal mixture, he was not presented an invoice, which indicates that the products came at no cost.
He said;
In terms of the question of whether it comes with a cost. It was handed to me without an invoice so I assume it doesn’t come with a cost. That’s my assumption. For that, I think the Madagascar issue should be laid to rest.
Mustapha added;
I think we have said repeatedly herd that we did not ask for the Madagascar consignment, it was given by the government of Madagascar to African countries as their contribution to wanting to find solution to the COVID-19 pandemic and we have repeatedly said our consignment and those of West African countries, was dropped off at Guinea Bissau and that we were making arrangements to go and airlift it.
He stated that;
As God would have it, the President of Guinea Bissau decided to visit our President last Saturday and when he was coming, he came with our consignment of five cartons and those five cartons were delivered to me yesterday in the evening, sealed, without a bottle out of it.
The PTF Chairman also expressed that the Minister of Health has the responsibility of validating the products through his institutions, adding that;
The President was upfront with validation of products even when he took delivery of it from the President of Guinea Bissau. He said it quite clear of what we are going to do with the consignment would be guided by science, under the processes of validation, we’ll now know where to go.
According to the SGF, the pandemic has exposed the weaknesses in all systems of the world, even that of the ‘superpowers,’ and that it would be a huge mistake for Nigerians to desire to go back to old ways of doing things.
