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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Peeved by the non-compliance with the inter-state travel ban imposed by the Federal Government as part of measures to check the spread of COVID-19, the House of Representatives has mandated its relevant committees to interface with the police and the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps to investigate the alleged complicity of its officers in the breach of the ban
It also urged the government to set up a special task force to monitor and ensure compliance with the interstate travel ban. This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu and nine others at plenary yesterday.
The House noted that after due consultations with governors, Federal Government on April 27 announced a ban on non-essential interstate passenger travels until further notice, overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am, excepting movement for essential services and controlled interstate movement of goods and services from producers to customers among other measures to curb the spread of the virus nationwide.
The lawmakers, however, stated that “while the restrictions on interstate is supposedly on-going, Nigerians are assailed daily with troubling images and videos of people traveling across the length and breath of different states of the country, which is a clear violation on the presidential order on travel bans.”
Meanwhile, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it was investigating alleged cases of corruption in the management of COVID-19 funds and palliatives.
The commission’s Director of Operations, Mr Akeem Lawal, disclosed this during a virtual meeting of stakeholders on the topic: “COVID-19 Funds Management and Monitoring”, on Thursday.
In a presentation titled, “ICPC Monitoring Obligation and Strategy Re: COVID-19 Emergency”, Lawal said the cases include alleged fraud by some participating public institution in the release and distribution of grains from strategic food reserve.
Others, according to him, include alleged infractions in the procurement of COVID-19 palliatives and logistics and community enlightenment activities.
The ICPC official, who did not mention names, said there were cases of state governments using the pandemic to “financially exploit local governments”. He said there was also case of diversion of “COVID-19 logistics and contingency emergency fund into personal account.
“In all cases of infraction, culprits will be investigated and prosecuted,” the director said.
He added that the ICPC was monitoring distribution of money and food under the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme and the Home School Feeding Programme.
