Can you believe this? Health Minister says N1.9bn Ebola fund is for cars, not for Ebola

With this news, two things are involved. It is either there was something wrong in the way you read or listened to the news on August 8 that President Goodluck Jonathan had approved N1.9billion for the fight against Ebola virus or somebody has seriously misquoted the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu.

Yesterday, after making us jump for joy that Nigeria has successfully contained the Ebola virus with only one patient in the isolation centre, Prof Chukwu reportedly said that the N1.9 billion approved by President Jonathan was never meant for management of the virus.

But on August 8, at the peak of the Ebola crisis, Jonathan, in a press release signed by Reuban Abati, announced the release of N1.9 billion as a Special Intervention Fund for the management of Ebola.

These were Abati’s words: “President Jonathan also approved a Special Intervention Plan and the immediate release of N1. 9 billion for its implementation, to further strengthen on-going steps to contain the virus such as the establishment of additional isolation centres, case management, contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and the procurement of required items and facilities.

“The President commends the vigilance of aviation and health authorities in Lagos who identified and isolated the index case in Nigeria, the late Patrick Sawyer, an American-Liberian who flew into the country,” the statement read.

Now, yesterday, Tuesday, August 26, Prof Chukwu said the money was actually approved for the Ministry of Health.

His words: “The N1.9billion approved by the president was for the federal ministry of health. It is not for Ebola fund. It will be used to procure more vehicles for working which have been ordered. It would be used to procure more drugs that have been ordered…and other items.

“In the case of Lagos state, after the president met commissioners of health, the president then asked the minister of health to discuss with the technical people and money has been approved for Lagos state,” he said.

The Lagos State government had complained that it did not receive the funds released for the management of the virus despite being the epicentre of the management of the infection in the country.

What is happening?