COVID-19 fund raising C’ttee: Akeredolu appoints Falowo, Odumakinde, 5 others

GOVERNOR Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Saturday, announced the appointment of a seven-man committee of eminent professionals of the state to, amongst others, raise and manage resources in cash, or in kind from individuals; group of individuals; private and public organizations; local and foreign donor agencies to be used to complement the efforts of the state government to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The Governor, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Donald Ojogo, announced the Chairman of Greenwich Trust Limited, Mr. Kayode Falowo as chairman; while the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of DeltaTek and DeltaAfriks Engineering and Oil and Gas Limited, Engr. Akinwumi Odumakinde will serve as Deputy Chairman.

To ensure that tenets of transparency and accountability are upheld and funds raised are judiciously utilized, the Governor also announced the appointment of a renowned accounting powerhouse, Ernst and Young and SIAO Partners as Fund Advisors and Auditors respectively.

The two firms, according to the statement, are to render their services for the state free of charge.

The statement reads: “Following the constitution of the palliative committee put in place by his administration to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has constituted a committee for Ondo State CoronaVirus Response Fund to mobilize resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

“The committee’s mandate, amongst others, is to help mobilize funds, in cash or in kind, and manage the efficient and transparent utilisation. The Terms of Reference of the Committee are as follows:

“Recommend and advise the government on funding strategies; manage funds mobilized; direct funding campaign; identify and contact effective funding channels/sources and carry out any other activities for the success of the above-mentioned.

“The Response Fund Committee will work closely with the State Inter-ministerial Committee and they are expected to begin work immediately till the pandemic is wiped out of our state and the nation of Nigeria in general. The Committee will equally provide weekly reports and submit a concrete report at the end of its activities.”

Other members of the committee are Adesegun Fatusi, a Professor of Community Medicine and Public Health and current Vice chancellor of the state owned University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMED); Ms Cecilia Akintomide, OON, a non-executive Director in the Board of FBN Holdings and former Vice-President and Secretary-General of the African Development Bank (AfDB); Seasoned Lawyer and CEO of JOF Nigeria Ltd Mr. Segun Fagboyegun while a Technical Consultant at WorleyParsons Nigeria Limited and Executive Director, Nigeria FlyLabs, South West Hubs, Mr. Babajide Akeredolu, will serve as Secretary.