The federal government has confirmed the receipt of monetary donations from a total of 328 individuals, corporate bodies and federal lawmakers between April and July, 2020, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the donors were 186 persons and organisations, who donated between N5 and N1,000.
This is according to the list of the donors released by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The AGF’s letter to SERAP indicated that the donors paid the funds into five dedicated commercial bank accounts opened by the federal government for the collection of COVID-19 donations as well as three Treasury Single Accounts (sub-accounts) domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The donations were made between April 1 and July 31, 2020, according to the undated letter signed by Mrs Odanwu Chizoba on behalf of the AGF.
It indicated that the Federal Government got a total of N1,949,338,906.49 through the ‘COVID-19 Support Accounts’.
It gave the names of some of the persons, who donated between N5 and N1,000 as Kayode Okuta, Adongul Godwin Anchukwu, Jimoh Maryam Jadesola, Oyaleke Christianah Folashade and Hussain Dabo Muhammad.
A firm, Exceeding ICT Global Centre, donated N1,000; while MRJ Production donated N100
Among other donors were the Association of Professional Nigerians in Egypt, which donated N2.2m; Nigeria Insurers Association, N500m; Full Gospel Biz men, N10m; and the Association of BDC operators, which donated N10m.
The letter also indicated that the Federal Government released N34.4bn as COVID-19 intervention funds, bringing the funds to a total of N36.3bn.
The AGF office, however, said N30.5bn was spent between April and July, leaving a balance of N5.8bn.
