The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced that along side with its partners, it would be investing 53% of the N21 billion COVID-19 donations from the oil and gas sector to be used in construction of hospitals across the six geo-political zones.
According to a statement signed by its spokesman, Dr. Kennie Obateru, in Abuja, on Thursday, the oil and gas sector had pledged N21 billion in kind to be used for intervention in the healthcare delivery system.
He said further that “53% of the sum pledged has been earmarked for the construction of medical infrastructure across the six geopolitical zones in the country,’’ and this was to come from NNPC and its partners.
He noted that the ground-breaking ceremonies for the construction of 200-bed Infectious Diseases Hospitals with in-situ laboratory had already been done in Bayelsa, Borno and Katsina States, while that of the other locations will come up shortly
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Quoting the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, who led the intervention group, said that the initiative will expand and upgrade to deliver 14 medical centers in total and two Intensive Care Units (ICUs) across the country.
According to him, a recent report of the group’s delivery schedule indicates that other medical consumables and logistic support have been delivered to 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while other states will receive theirs before the end of June 2020.
The group has also allocated 26% of the intervention funding to the deployment of logistics and in-patient support systems, while 21% was allocated for the provision of medical consumables across the country.
“All the initiatives by the respective stakeholders form part of their usual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme/commitments.
“The report said medical consumables comprising respirators, protective suits, and test kits as well as logistics and in-patient support systems among which are ambulances, ventilators and beddings and laboratory equipment have been delivered to 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory,’’ he stated.
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According to him, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kwara, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Plateau and Rivers State as well as the FCT have received medical consumables as well as logistics and in-patient support systems.
“Intervention is provided in kind by donors using internal transparent procurement processes driven with a clear governance structure of the various coalescing companies,’’ Obateru, said
The intervention group’s Governance Committee is headed by the NNPC GMD and comprises Managing Directors of oil companies and other industry players.
The NNPC, Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers (DPPMA), Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG)and Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), make up the Oil Industry Intervention group.
Useless people. COVID-19 has become an avenue to loot and misappropriate public funds. You’re unable to provide for staff welfare but you know how to spend billions to build hospital in Buhari’s village. Days of reckoning is coming Mr. Puppet GMD.