The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviate, Betta Edu, to give detailed policy documents adopted in allocation and distribution of N1.1 trillion for the conditional cash transfer to 15 million households in order to ensure transparency and accountability.
Adebayo decried the lack of transparent handling of the previous conditional cash transfer programmes have led to corruption and fraud, where funds intended for vulnerable people were misappropriated by individuals.
The House, therefore, mandated, “the committee on constituency outreach and committee on poverty Alleviation to invite the honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to give detailed policy documents adopted in Allocation and distribution of funds for the conditional cash transfer in order to ensure transparency and accountability which are fundamental principles of good governance.”
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion moved at the plenary on Tuesday by Hon. Abdulmaruf Adebayo.
The lawmaker, while moving the motion said that the conditional cash transfer programme is an immediate intervention by the federal government to cushion the effect of the removal of petrol subsidy and other economic shocks for vulnerable groups in Nigeria.
Adebayo added that the conditional cash transfer was one of the 15 items in the memorandum of understanding between the federal government and organised labour on October 2nd 2023.
He noted that 15 million households would be receiving N25,000 each over a period of three Months.
Adebayo noted that there had been a lot of unsatisfactory feedback from the ways and manners palliative to vulnerable Nigerians have been handled by some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) which has not in any way reduce hardship in the land.
He said It was pertinent to remind the Parliament about the ugly scenario witnessed during the covid 19 palliative distribution few years ago, where items from international donors meant to cushion the effect of the pandemic were mismanaged.
Adedayo pointed out that the World Bank country representative, Shubham Chaudhuri confirmed that cash transfers are widely applicable to reduce poverty.
He emphasised that the removal of fuel subsidy necessitated the introduction of various programmes, policies and intervention to alleviate and boost the economics of families and small businesses.
The lawmaker stressed that the National Assembly members being closer to the people of Nigeria are meant to represent the interest and concerns of their constituents at the National level, therefore deserved to be fully briefed and carried along in the implementation process.
He expressed worry that there was growing suspicion of ways and manners this programme will be implemented.