The purchase of COVID-19 vaccines is causing crisis in the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID).
CACOVID is a private sector initiative for the fight against COVID-19. BUA group, a member of the coalition on Tuesday accused the coalition of playing politics with the lives of Nigerians.
Earlier on Monday, BUA group announced that it will single-handedly purcase 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the Afrexim platform.
However, the coalition in a statement refuted the claim by BUA group, noting that the purchase of the vaccines cannot be done by an individual.
But in a counter-statement, BUA released evidence of its payment of 1 billion Naira to the Central Bank of Nigeria for the purchase of the vaccines.
BUA in the statement claimed some persons within the group are being petty. It also revealed that the offer to donate for the intiative was tabled at a meeting with the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, however, none of the other members were willing to donate.
The statement said that BUA was shocked over the report attributed to CACOVID which disowned its payment of 1 million AstraZeneca doses for Nigerians, stating that the purchase was done in good faith.
It said that at the CACOVID steering committee meeting held on Monday the CBN Governor disclosed that CACOVID had been given the opportunity through the Afrexim Platform to access and pay for 1 million doses, but that it took it upon itself to purchase the vaccines when other members showed no interest in the payment.
