Femi Falana

Nigerian Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has called on state governments in the country to account for the sum of ₦438 billion disbursed to them by the Federal government to revitalise businesses following the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Bola Tinubu, in his nationwide broadcast on Sunday, disclosed that the government disbursed over ₦400 billion to states.

Speaking via a statement, Falana asked state governments to account for the funds.

He argued that since the release of the funds had been confirmed by Tinubu in his nationwide address, it is appropriate for Nigerians to know the details of its use in the anti-poverty alleviation programmes.

Falana insisted that this was important because the ₦438 billion, being the last tranche of the $750 million World Bank loan, should be paid back by the Nigerian people.

He further explained that the loan was obtained for implementation of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG CARES) programme to support businesses impacted during the pandemic with the federal government disbursing an initial advance recoverable sum of ₦35.3 billion to all the states in March 2022.

Falana said that federal government under the Buhari administration disbursed another ₦77 billion to the states and the FCT for the NG-CARES programme for tackling multidimensional poverty in April 2023 making a total of ₦112 billion.

He said, “However, in 2023, the federal government approved the release of N135.4 as reimbursement to states and FCT for the implementation of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG CARES) Programme.

“Kaduna and Anambra states were not included in the list of beneficiaries of the last disbursement on the ground that they did not present results for verification during the exercise.”

Falana also noted that the president confirmed the disbursement of a total sum of ₦573 billion in nine months to fight the multidimensional poverty in the country.