We didn’t pay Madagascar for COVID Organics – FG

Kayode Oyero

The Federal Government has said the Madagascar COVID Organics delivered on Saturday by President Umaro Embaló of Guinea Bissau came without “an invoice”.

The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, made this known during a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said Nigeria received five cartons of the ‘tonic’ touted as cure for coronavirus.

Responding to a question on whether Nigeria paid for the consignment, the PTF chair said, “We did not ask for it; it was given by the Government of Madagascar to African countries as their contribution to wanting to find a solution to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our consignment and those of West African countries were dropped off in Guinea Bissau. And then, we were making arrangements to airlift it. And as God will have it, the President of Guinea Bissau decided to visit our President last Saturday.

“When he was coming, he came with our consignment of five cartons and those five cartons were delivered to me yesterday (Monday) in the evening sealed.

“I am going to engage the minister of health who has the responsibility of validations through his institutions that are chartered by law to do that.

“The President was upfront with that even when he took delivery from the President of Guinea Bissau. He was very clear that we will be guided by science. After the processes of validation, we will know where to go.

“In terms of whether it came with a cost, it was handed to me without an invoice, so I assume it didn’t come with any cost.”

PUNCH

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