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Oyo State Government on Tuesday said it has spent N2,779,000,000 in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 in the state.
The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akinola Ojo, disclosed while speaking with journalists at Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.
Ojo said the breakdown of the expenses shows that N900.5 million was spent to purchase COVID-19 palliatives and seedlings; N370.6 million was spent to upgrade the Infectious Diseases Centre, Olodo; N453.7 million on securing borders, security trucks and personnel; N118 million in supporting the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for COVID-19 tests.
Also N614.7million has been spent on testing, kits, consumables; while N321.2 million was expended on buying ambulances.
The commissioner further disclosed that N156 million has been set aside for volunteers who will each receive 15,000 hazard allowance from June, backdated to March.
He gave the estimate of contributions from well-meaning individuals and institutions, in cash and gift items as N1.2 billion.
Out of the N1.2 billion, Ojo said N378.1 million was cash donation, which he said is still intact in the state COVID-19 endowment account.
Asked about the donation from the Federal Government, the commissioner said the state had assurance that it will get N100 million from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
He added that the state also got a donation from CACOVID to the tune of N250 million.