BEVERLY HILLS, CA, November 11, (THEWILL) – Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Monday assured Microsoft founder and co- chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, and president of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that the $50m Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan to be made available to Nigeria to fight Polio would be properly utilised.
Tambuwal, who gave the assurance when Gates alongside Dangote and others paid a courtesy call on him and the leadership of the House said the National Assembly would ensure that the counterpart funding for the project was provided in the 2014 budget that would be brought by President Goodluck Jonathan so that the polio project would not be hindered.
He extolled the humanitarian activities of Gates and Dangote, saying both have proven that business and compassion are not mutually exclusive and that they can be combined for the good of humanity.
“I listened to your address particularly on JICA loan and I assure you that the House of Representatives will do all that is required of us to ensure that when that proposal is forwarded to the National Assembly, we can pass it so Nigeria can assess the loan that will now support the purchase of the vaccines that will advance the drive for the eradication of polio.
“We will try also in our committees in the National Assembly oversight to ensure the proper implementation of the funds and the resources that are mainly meant for those projects,” he stated.
“I also assure you that when the Executive brings its proposal to the National Assembly in a few days’ time, the parliament will ensure that the counterpart funding required of the Nigerian Government to continue the funding of the polio project is made available.”
Earlier, Gates told Tambuwal that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dangote Group in conjunction with JICA have initiated a new loan conversion mechanism,saying “JICA Loan Conversion”, for Nigeria, totaling US$ 50 million is to provide critical support for polio eradication and other child killer diseases in Nigeria.
He said the biggest single thing the foundation does is fighting polio. He noted however that one of the challenges facing the project is the security threat to the vaccination teams. He however assured that they are determined to win the fight to eradicate polio
Saint Mugaga, Abuja
