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April 8, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Nigerian Official Diverts Pounds 12m in Polio Funds: EU Donation Put in Interest-Bearing Account Without Consent" Financial Times (www.ft.com) (04/08/02) P. 1; Wallis, William

In November 2001, the European Union (EU) donated 20 million euros (12.3 million pounds) for a polio immunization campaign in Nigeria, and it is now demanding to know what happened to 100 million naira (607,000 pounds) in interest earned after Nigerian polio eradication campaign director Dere Awosika delayed spending the money and instead invested it in a local interest-bearing account.  Mishandling of the polio immunization funds from the EU could mean lack of worldwide support of future medical endeavors in the country.  Awosika has stated that the money intended for the polio immunization campaign was not mismanaged; however, the EU is calling for an external audit of Nigeria's immunization campaign and is demanding to know why the money was converted from euros to naira, when the funding was meant to purchase vaccines in hard currency.

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