Lawmaker Raises Doubts Over FG’s Payment of ₦20,000 To Poor Households

A Federal Lawmaker, Ben Kalu has raised doubts over the credibility of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

The Federal Government stated that it had commenced the payment of conditional cash transfer to poor households in Abuja to assuage the effects of COVID-19 lockdown in April.

Kalu, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Media in an interview on Channels Television Programme, Sunrise Daily, on Thursday said the Federal Government should be more transparent about how the money is disbursed by making public the names of the beneficiaries of the programme.

We are faced with a crisis. This is an intervention programme. We are supposed to feel the impact now. The poor should feel the impact of this programme.

“You said you shared money recently and I represent a constituency. And there are 360 of us (Federal Lawmakers) and all of them are saying we are not feeling the impact.

“Who are you paying this money to?. Where is the register you are using? How did you compute that register? Where are you publishing it? ,” Kalu questioned.

He added, “You said you paid 100 people from my constituency, we cant see them. Are they ghosts? Are you paying ghosts? Publish their names let us see the beneficiaries

In response, Uwais also during the interview on Channels Television said the Ministry worked with traditional rulers in identifying the poor households that benefit from the programme.

She added that the law (FoI Act) forbids making public the names of beneficiaries of grants without their consent.

“Section 14 of the FoI Act says people who receive social grants should not be published or made disclosed without pre-consent,” Uwais said.