By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Federal Government has released N620 million, the second tranche of the funds needed to tackle the menace of globally-threatened COVID-19 disease.
The Federal Minstry of Finance announced this in a press statement made available by Minister’s Media Adviser, Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi in Abuja on Friday.
President Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of funds to tackle COVID-19 as an emergency and the process of releasing the fund was also an emergency as it was an unexpected expenditure.
According to the statement, the Ministry had released the first tranche of N364 million shortly after the outbreak of the health challenge ravaging the globe.
The statement added that the process of releasing the second tranche has now been concluded with the release of N620 million thereby bringing the total amount to N984 million.
Responding to media enquiries on the issue on Thursday, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, had promised that the second tranche of the needed fund would be released Friday.