BUA Group and the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), were involved in a rift on Tuesday over media reports that the former had purchased a million doses of COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines through Afreximbank for Nigerians.
The BUA Group, in a statement, expressed utter shock at reports allegedly attributed to CACOVID, disowning its earlier payment through CACOVID for 1 million AstraZeneca doses for the citizens.
It alluded to a steering committee meeting held on Monday, February 8, 2021, where CACOVID members were informed by the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, that the coalition had been given the opportunity through the AFREXIM platform to access and pay for one million doses, under the condition that payment was to be made immediately, but not later than tomorrow (today), “failure which the opportunity to get those doses next week” would lapse.
“After extensive deliberations,” the BUA Group statement indicated, “there was no agreement reached and despite members being offered the opportunity to donate funds towards procuring the doses, none offered.”
According to the statement, the BUA group then offered ‘to pay for the one million doses at the agreed rate of US$3.45 per dose totalling US$3.45million (about N1.311billion).”
But, CACOVID explained that only the Federal Government, through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), can obtain any COVID-19 vaccine for Nigeria in the ongoing fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Administrator of CACOVID, Mrs. Zouera Youssoufou, gave the coalition’s positions while speaking in Lagos during the Global Business Report programme on ARISE TV News.
She stated that the process of buying the vaccines through the Federal Government has commenced and that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as an official regulatory body, has to approve the vaccine and certify it before use by Nigerians.
Her words: “So nobody is disputing a transfer into the Central Bank account; nobody is saying that did not happen, that is not where the challenge is. The challenge is the claim that one company has brought vaccines into Nigeria because that is not factual
“These claims are not factual as CACOVID operates on a collegiate fund contribution model. There is no agreement between BUA, CACOVID and Afreximbank.”
