Press Release
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has reechoed its agreement on the need for the Lagos state government, its counterparts elsewhere and the federal government, as it were, to be accountable for all the grants and donations, whether in cash or in kind, made by individuals, corporate organizations and friendly nations to Nigeria on the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a release issued by the Centre on behalf of its Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran and signed by its Coordinator for Media and Publications, Adegboyega Otunuga, he averred, “Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that has affected nations and individuals all over the world since the index case was announced in Wuhan, China on January 11, 2020, and since the official outbreak in Nigeria on February 27, 2020, the medical and health facilities in Nigeria has been overstretched beyond belief, even as countries with better medicals (personnel, drugs, etc., have not been spared with over Three Million afflicted, worldwide and more than Three Hundred Thousand deaths recorded.
“It is against this backdrop that we appreciate efforts of good-spirited individuals, organizations and countries that have intervened, in kind and in cash towards ameliorating the devastating effects of this global scourge on Nigeria in particular.
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“Just as encapsulated in the provisions of the recently prepared, Coronavirus Pandemic Emergency Law, 2020”, as passed by Lagos State House of Assembly on declaration of State of Emergency on any threat to regional, state or national peace and security of the nation or any parts thereof, the state or national Assembly as a prima symbol of the people’s sovereignty must be allowed to exercise its constitutional and residual powers thereto for the good and wellbeing of its constituents.
“It is trite that Section 305 of 1999 constitution which gives the power to declare a state of emergency clearly stipulates the procedure to be followed in exercising that given power. This becomes clearer when viewed against the fact that all scientific and experts’ observations on Covid-19 threat have clearly shown that insisting on perpetual or indefinite lockdowns or other adjunct responses by the Executive may not be an end in itself.
“This is because, an intermittent self-isolation and social distancing in itself have been found to lower individual immunity and may even lead to contracting of other fatal or contagious disease, hence, the need for social balancing and collective examination of what could serve as an impeccable and ultimate approach in taming the pandemic which only a collegiate of lawmakers could scrutinize and advise accordingly upon.”
The National Coordinator of CACOL added, “As copiously stated in 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and other extant laws, any spending, I.e. donations, grants, endowments, etc., afforded whatever tier/s of government that is outside the usual appropriations of the Legislature must be accounted for as appropriate, either before expenditures are made or immediately after, if by any reason it becomes inevitable that such spending need to be carried out. This is because, like the House rightly noted, ‘a donation power’ must not preclude the principle of accountability, since such donations are only be made on behalf of the generality and certain organic entities for whom accountability must not be put in abeyance.”
