The Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation have accepted to spend One billion naira on quarantine and feeding of over 3,000 Nigerians once they return due to COVID-19.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, made this known during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.
It was gathered that the two institutions agreed on splashing the one billion naira on accommodation and feeding for 14 days once the returnees get back to the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recall that the Federal Government had been brutally criticized for demanding prospective returnees to pay N290,000 for their quarantine and feeding in Lagos and Abuja, ahead of their evacuation from the United States, United Kingdom, India, China, Thailand and Canada.
The government’s decision was triggered as a result of lack of resources, and that it could only finance the 620 evacuees currently in quarantine.
However, in a briefing on Monday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs disclosed that the Federal Government has been challenged for asking the prospective batches of evacuees to pay for their isolation and feeding.
Onyeama said the government diverted funds meant for something else for the payment of the accommodation and feeding of the first three sets of evacuees currently in isolation.
According to him, government was aware of the fact that many stranded citizens in foreign countries were desperate to return home, therefore, he was advised by the Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, to solicit financial support from the CBN and the NNPC.
He informed that there are about 4,000 Nigerians out there, and if 3,000 of them come back, the cost of accommodation, feeding and everything else are over One billion naira
Speaking on why the evacuees would not be tested for COVID-19 before they are evacuated, the Minister explained that medical experts advised that it was not necessary, adding that the positive cases among the evacuees from the United Arab Emirates had justified the decision.
Onyeama further disclosed that Nigerians awaiting repatriation in India would soon be brought back by a local airline.