Presidential Aide Disputes Falana’s Criticism On Post-COVID-19 Fund Allocation

Presidential Aide Disputes Falana’s Criticism On Post-COVID-19 Fund Allocation

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Mr. Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, has contested Mr. Femi Falana’s critique of the N135 billion post-COVID-19 reimbursement granted to 36 states in December, denouncing it as a distortion of facts.

Ajayi, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos, refuted Falana’s (SAN) assertions made in a viral video regarding the N135 billion allocated to the 36 states in December 2023 during a memorial event in honor of Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti.

According to Ajayi, Falana purportedly exaggerated and embellished the details.

Ajayi stated, “The rendition by the Lagos lawyer in that trending video is a complete distortion of facts. He also failed to disclose the real rationale behind the disbursement of the said amount to the states under the World Bank-funded NG-CARES Programme.”

Examining the facts, Ajayi noted that the global economy was still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruptions to the global supply chain, from which the world had yet to fully recover.

He emphasized that COVID-19 exacerbated poverty worldwide, particularly due to the loss of livelihoods in rural and urban areas.

“Post-COVID-19, the World Health Organization and World Bank continue to support countries in strengthening their health systems and emergency preparedness to better handle any future public health crises,” Ajayi said.

“In December 2023, the Federal Government disbursed N135.4 billion to the states as part of efforts to manage the aftermath of COVID-19 in line with WHO and World Bank frameworks,” he added.

Ajayi clarified that the disbursement followed an independent assessment of results achieved under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme.

He stressed that the aim of the NG-CARES Programme was to mitigate economic and social shocks faced by vulnerable populations who had yet to recover their livelihoods due to the pandemic-induced lockdown.

Ajayi underscored that the project was result-oriented, with funds released only to states that adhered to prescribed procedures and demonstrated impactful results.

“While criticism is vital for accountability and transparency in public affairs and finance management, it should not be wielded by those who peddle half-truths and embellishments,” Ajayi concluded