For Today’s Numbers to Ponder, Nigeria ranks 97th position in a global survey of 117 countries on budget transparency. In the Open Budget Survey 2019, the country scored 21% in budget transparency, 22% in public participation, and 55% in budget oversight. Is this a burst? An allegation of diverted N23 million COVID-19 palliative fund is hanging on the neck of the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede. To support the government in the fight against the pandemic, a religious group has offered its 425 health facilities as isolation centres for COVID-19. Tony Ojukwu, the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), says the Nigerian Police caused nearly 60 percent of reported human rights abuses perpetrated during the second phase of the strict lockdown. This is also in tandem with a report by Dataphyte on how the Nigerian Security Operatives killed 13 while enforcing lockdown last month.
97th In Transparency
The failure to publish the Audit Report in a timely manner and non-disclosures of broad parameters of fiscal policies continue to affect Nigeria’s ranking on budget transparency. A new survey by the International Budget Partnership has shown. The Open Budget Survey (OBS) 2019 on budget transparency, ranked Nigeria 97th position. This is from a global survey of 117 countries. According to the survey, Nigeria scored 21% in Budget Transparency, 22% in Public Participation, and 55% in Budget Oversight out of 100.[DATAPHYTE]
425 Health Facilities
The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has offered all its 425 health facilities across the country as isolation centres for COVID-19. Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), who disclosed this at the presidential task force briefing on Monday said state governments can now take advantage of the facilities. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had said no state in the country has enough bed spaces for COVID-19 patients.
60% Human Rights Abused
Members of the Nigeria Police are alleged to have caused nearly 60 percent of reported human rights abuses perpetrated during the second phase of the strict lockdown. Tony Ojukwu, the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement on Sunday. Ojukwu revealed that a total of 104 complaints were received and monitored during the three weeks between April 13 and May 4.
N23m Illegal Disbursement
Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, has illegally diverted N23m given to the agency for officers as palliative during the COVID-19 outbreak. SaharaReporters gathered that the fund, which was received by the agency, was about to be disbursed to all officers when Babandede diverted the funds. He subsequently oversaw the disbursement of the funds to some selected persons, who are his cronies within the agency.
195 Candidates
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has published the names of 195 candidates who it said engaged in a series of examination infractions in the 2020 examination. The examination board detailed this in its weekly bulletin released today. It said of the 1,945,983 candidates who sat for the 2020 examination, prima facie cases of examination misconduct have been made against the named candidates. See the full list below.
17 Airports
At least 17 out of the 20 airports owned and managed by the Federal Government have turned out to be unviable and have operated at a loss for three years. Except the trio of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja; and Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Rivers State, none of the other airports has sufficient revenue to cover the cost of operations alone.
506-Bed Spaces
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday, inaugurated a 506-bed spaces COVID-19 isolation and treatment centre located at Idu Railway Station in Abuja. FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, while inaugurating the four-storey building facility, said it was a private sector intervention coordinated by the Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee on COVID-19 to contain the killer virus in the nation’s capital.