
Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has advised the Federal Government to use 25 percent of funds expended on fuel subsidy to provide health insurance for poor Nigerians.
Okowa,who gave the advice when the Minister of State for Health, Dr Olurunnimbe Mamora, visited him ,said that the Federal Government spent lots of money in subsidizing fuel for the rich, without consideration for the vulnerable in the society,
He added that the country would experience peace if 25 per cent of the subsidy funds was deployed for an insurance scheme for the less-privileged.
He commended the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for their efforts in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor stated that God had been very merciful to Nigerians and Africans in the face of the pandemic by preventing many deaths as was earlier predicted.
He lauded the management of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, saying they had been of immense help to the government in the handling of COVID-19 patients in the state.
“I am glad that you are in Delta to inaugurate the ECR machine at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.Although we have lost some lives, God has kept us safe and the anticipation of the world didn’t come to pass.
“We are in a very difficult time in our nation Nigeria and the more we pay special attention to the vulnerable people the better the society we will have.
“I thank God that the 7th Senate passed the National Health Bill which became an Act, and I must commend you and the Ministry for making funds available for the running of the basic health care fund provision.The basic health care fund provision has come to the aid of local government areas and the primary health care centres.
“If we are able to address health insurance for the vulnerable in our society, it will help us to reduce maternal mortality and the more we are able to reduce those indices the better for us as a nation.
“The money being used to subsidise fuel today, if 25 per cent is spent to provide health insurance for all Nigerians that have not been able to afford health care, it will help us as a nation.We must continue to direct our policies in favour of the poor because if the family is well enough it can take care of itself.
“If a reasonable chunk of that money is spent on the education of the poor children, it will help to check insecurity and unemployment to a large extent and we must continue to voice this narrative to change things in this country,” he said.
Okowa implored Nigerians to make themselves available for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, saying that it was safe.