CSO writes Adamawa SSG, Bashir Ahmad seeks details of Covid 19 spending
The Adamawa first initiative has sent a request to the Adamawa state secretary to the state government, Bashir Ahmad who doubles as the state chairman of Covid 19 committee requesting him to use his “leadership position and the opportunity of the FOI request to provide spending details of all the donations and spending of the Adamawa state covid 19 funds, including details and locations of projects on which the funds have been spent.”
The organisation is also urging Gov. Fintiri to set up an independent audit of all the donations, and spending of the Bashir Ahmad led committee on covid 19 to resolve any allegations of mismanagement and corruption, and to publish spending details of donations and spending of the committees.”
Mr Bashir Ahmad committee has failed to make public the spending and donations of funds and its utilisation to the public which prompted ADFI to seek details of the committee spending shrouded in secrecy till date through FOI.
In the FoI request dated January 5 and signed by Mohammed Suleiman, the organisation expressed: “concerns that while Bashir Ahmad covid 19 committee has seen received donations from FG, captain of industry in the name of Adamawa state covid 19 committees, much of the funds have reportedly been mismanaged or unaccounted for.”
ADFI said: “Opacity in the spending of the covid 19 funds would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of citizens. Transparency would ensure that the covid 19 funds are not diverted to private pockets.
The FOI request, read in part: According to section 1(1) and 2 of the freedom of information act 2011, the law of the Federation of Nigeria, we write to kindly request for information regarding all donations and spending of the Adamawa state Covid 19 committee, grants received from FG, donations of well-meaning Nigerians, Corporate organisation and captain of industries with effect from your assumption of duty as the chairman, Adamawa state Covid 19 committee till date.
- Profiles of all the company that benefitted from all the contracts awarded by the Covid 19 committee regarding the supply of PPE materials and any other spending of your committee.
- All the spending and the utilisation of all funds allocated to your committee from your committee’s inception to date
“We would be grateful if the requested information is provided to us within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, the Registered Trustees of ADFI and The Finder Multimedia shall take all appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act to compel you to comply with our request.”
In the FoI request copied to A.K Jingi, Adamawa state, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice; ADFI and The Finder is urging Mr Bashir to disclose full details of all funds received by the covid 19 committees under his watch.
Details of the donations running into billions of naira donated to his committee, including specific details of covid 19 projects and locations of the projects as well as the conditions of any such projects;