Coronavirus: Rather Than Beg Elon Musk, Number Of Ventilators FG Can Purchase With Donations Received

 

Widespread criticisms have trailed the gaffe committed by the federal government when it requested ventilators from the founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, on Thursday.

Nonetheless, an analysis by Allnews has revealed the number of ventilators the Federal government can purchase with the donations received so far.

Ventilator, a piece of medical equipment, is used to aid the breathing process of the body when the disease has caused lung failure. Experts have also explained that the device is important for the treatment of the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world.

While over 900,000 cases of the pandemic have been recorded globally, Nigeria has a total of 174 as of Thursday evening.

Recall that the Federal government via the verified Twitter handle of the Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning begged the South African billionaire for ventilators.

In the controversial tweet, the ministry begged the South African billionaire for “between 100 and 500 ventilators” to assist in the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country.

The ministry was responding to a statement by the billionaire of his company’s decision to send FDA-approved ventilators to hospitals worldwide.

Elon Musk earlier offered to help countries where coronavirus cases are gradually rising.

However, after generating widespread criticism, the tweet was deleted with an apology note from the ministry.

“An unauthorised post was made on the verified twitter handle of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning. The fact of the post is regrettable because of which it was brought down. We have made sure our internal processes are strengthened that such doesn’t happen again. The error is highly regrettable,” a statement by Yunusa Abdullahi, the media aide to the minister of finance, read.

While the government agency deleted the tweet, Bashir Ahmad, a personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, reiterated the request.

"Hello Elon, I woke up to this your tweet all over the TL, in this period of worldwide emergency getting ventilators is pretty hard no matter how much money you get, and that’s understandable! Nigeria, my dear country is in need. Kindly send 100s here, we really need them, thanks," He wrote. 

Meanwhile, some Nigerians, in their responses, questioned the whereabouts of the billions of naira donated by Nigerian billionaires to fight the pandemic.

Donations

Allnews understands that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday said the monetary contributions to the account set up under the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) stands at about N15. 321billion.

The CBN spokesperson, Isaac Okorafor, said the list of 37 donors include individuals, banks and other corporate organisations.

Details of the contributions showed that the CBN and Aliko Dangote Foundation contributed N2 billion each, while Abdul Samad Rabiu (BUA Sugar Refinery); Segun Agbaje (GTB); Tony Elumelu (UBA); Oba Otudeko (First Bank); Jim Ovia (Zenith Bank); Herbert Wigwe (Access Bank) and Femi Otedola of Amperion Power Distribution donated N1 billion each to the relief fund.

Other donors include Pacific Holding Ltd, Union Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Citi Bank Nigeria Ltd, FCMB, Fidelity Bank, ECOBank, African Steel Mills and Multichoice Nigeria Limited.
 

Analysis

According to Bimedis, an online store that sells medical equipment, an NIV ventilator, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, costs $8,136 on the average.

"The Current Price Range Based on 185 Vendors on Bimedis. Its Costs Starts Approximately at $200 and ends at the Highest Price $79,206 The Average Price for NIV Ventilator - $8,136 Based on 185 product listings in this category," Bimedis website read.

When converted to U.S. dollars at the rate of N360/$1, the donations of 15.321bn amounts to $42.5m.

Allnews' analysis however showed that, at the rate of $8,136 per one ventilator, Nigeria can afford 5,230 ventilators with the donations.

Reactions

A legal expert and human rights activist, Festus Ogun, described the request for ventilators as a national embarrassment.

"To put is straight: it is embarrassing and shameful. Requesting for aid in times of crisis is not a bad idea, ordinarily. But, making a request on behalf of a government of a country by replying a tweet is out of place. Beyond the request, I daresay it is important for Nigerians to know how the nation become so broke that it cannot cater for a health crisis that didn't come as a surprise," He said, when this reporter sought his opinion.

Ogun posited that the resources of the country are largely mismanaged and embezzled by" greedy" politicians.

"What happened to the recovered Abacha loots? How about the funds recovered by the EFCC?" He queried the accountability of the Federal government.

Another activist, Deji Adeyanju, stated that the Federal government is bereft of transparency in its dealings.

" 1 ventilator is around $10,000 =N3.5m
500 ventilators that the corrupt government is begging Elon Musk for will just be N1.7b. They lied they shared N5bn to their so-called poor people just yesterday. Hopeless & heartless Govt," He wrote on Twitter.