Dataphyte reporter, Aderemi Ojekunle to speak on COVID-19 fraud at African Investigative Journalism Conference, AIJC.
Owing to the pandemic, the AIJC will hold its first virtual conference between October 6 and 30, 2020. And on October 15, Aderemi will share insights on COVID Corruption alongside Pieter-Louis Myburgh of Daily Maverick and Paul Wafula, a reporter at Nation Group, Kenya.
Particularly, the Dataphyte reporter will speak to the fraudulent coronavirus expenses in Nigeria.
African Investigative Journalism Conference
Every year, the African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) hosts investigative reporters, editors, and producers from the African continent in Johannesburg. More so, it will feature over 25 workshops, panel sessions, networking, and master classes; per the organisers (Journalism department of the University of Witwatersrand),
At the event, the three African journalists will share their findings and activities behind the scenes on COVID-19 investigations in Africa. Pontsho Pilane, a media trainer and lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, will facilitate the session.
Other speakers for the conference include Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism; Ruona Meyer, Ph.D. Candidate, De Montfort University; Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Ghanaian investigative journalist; Kiki Mordi, Emmy nominated Investigative Journalist; Samba Badji, Rédacteur en chef, Africa Check; Alastair Otter, IT Coordinator, Global Investigative Journalism Network; Allan Cheboi, Regional Manager, Forensic Research & Analytics, Code For Africa, Amal El Mekki, Inkyfada, among others.
Mismanaged COVID-19 Funds
Aderemi’s reports chronicled how five federal agencies, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), and the Federal Ministry of Health, mismanaged ₦1.69 Billion ($4.4 million) COVID-19 fund.
According to the investigation, the COVID-19 spending in Nigeria was fraught with vague transactions, outrageous and inflated contracts. In another report, Mr Ojekunle revealed how agencies of the government awarded COVID-19 emergency contracts worth ₦534.98 million to unverified and unregistered companies.