BUA Group says on Tuesday that it paid $3,450,000,000 (N1.311 billion) to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the procurement of one million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that would be distributed to Nigerians at no cost, contrary to the disclaimer by the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID).
The conglomerate was responding to a disclaimer issued by CACOVID, denying reports that it paid for the procurement of one million doses of the vaccine.
On Monday, BUA group announced that it had secured one million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, through the AfreximBank vaccine programme in partnership with CACOVID.
The CACOVID operations committee, the coalition which BUA is a member, however, said in a statement that BUA cannot singlehanded secure the doses, and that purchase of the vaccine cannot be done by individuals or companies, but only through the federal government.
In its reaction on Tuesday, BUA asked CACOVID to stop playing games with Nigerian lives.
The group said CBN governor Godwin Emefiele had announced at a meeting that CACOVID had been given the opportunity through the Afrexim platform to access and pay for one million doses of vaccine provided payment was made on Monday or Tuesday.
The conglomerate said while other CACOVID members refused to offer the donation to secure the vaccine, it offered to do so by making a payment of $3,450,000,000, which is N1.311 billion, to the CBN.
BUA said the disclaimer by CACOVID operations committee shows that “some members of CACOVID were not happy that BUA took this initiative in the interest of Nigeria and to ensure that the deadline was met to receive the 1 million doses of the vaccine next week.”
It claimed that a prominent member of CACOVID is not happy with the donation.
The statement states thus: “BUA receives with utter shock, reports allegedly attributed to CACOVID, disowning its earlier payment through CACOVID for 1 million AstraZena doses for Nigeria via the AFREXIM vaccine platform.”
“At the cacovid steering committee meeting held today February 8, 2021 (of which BUA is a member), members were informed by the CBN Governor that CACOVID had been given the opportunity through the Afrexim Platform to access and pay for 1million dose, provided payment was made today or tomorrow failure which the opportunity to get those doses next week may be lost.
“After extensive deliberation, there was no agreement reached and despite members being offered the opportunity to donate funds towards procuring the doses, none offered. BUA then took it upon itself to offer to pay for the 1million doses at the agreed rate of US$3.45 per dose totaling US$3,450,000,000.00 which translates to 1.311 billion Naira.”
“BUA did this gesture in good faith as it has done with its interventions throughout the pandemic. We will however like to state clearly that we are aware that a prominent member of CACOVID is not happy that BUA took the initiative to pay for the vaccines – fulfilling our pledge just as we said during the meeting. Now they want to scuttle it by this action because they were unable to take the initiative,” it said.
“We find this release by CACOVID to be very petty and unbecoming of seemingly serious corporate citizens because it is tantamount to playing politics with the lives of Nigerians. This is no time for politics. It is time for us to come together to help Nigerians and it does not matter who is helping or paying.
“We stand ready to keep supporting and despite this petty action we have decided to le the money remain in the CACOVID Account with the CBN pending when they are ready to utilize the funds for Nigerians to access the vaccines.”
