The House of Representatives has asked the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, to explain how the federal government plans to distribute N1.1 trillion to 15 million households in Nigeria as part of the conditional cash transfer programme.
The programme is a social safety net that aims to mitigate the impact of the removal of petrol subsidy and other economic challenges on the poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
The House passed a resolution to invite the minister after a motion of urgent public importance was moved by a member, who expressed concern over the transparency and accountability of the programme.
The motion noted that the conditional cash transfer was one of the 15 items agreed upon by the federal government and organized labour on October 2nd 2023.
It also noted that each household would receive N25,000 for three months under the programme.
The motion recalled the mismanagement and corruption that marred the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives a few years ago, where some items donated by international partners were diverted or hoarded.
It also cited the World Bank Country Representative, Shubham Chaudhuri, who affirmed that cash transfers are effective in reducing poverty.
The motion stressed that the National Assembly members, as representatives of the people, deserved to be informed and involved in the implementation process of the programme.
It expressed worry that there was growing distrust and suspicion among Nigerians about the fairness and credibility of the programme.
The House therefore mandated its committees on constituency outreach and poverty alleviation to invite the minister and obtain detailed policy documents on the allocation and distribution of funds for the programme.
The committees are expected to report back to the House within two weeks.
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