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How did you get list for poor Nigerians and spend N2tr so far? – National Assembly leaders tackle FG on SIP scheme

How did you get your list? The N2tr Social Investment Programme is a failure - National Assembly leaders tackle FG on its scheme for poor Nigerians

National assembly leaders have faulted the federal government’s
Social Intervention Programme, which includes the Conditional Cash
Transfer programme to poor households as one of the palliatives measures
against the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country.

In a meeting held on Tuesday April 7 with the Minister of
Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia
Sadiya Umar Farouq and some top officials of the Ministry, President of
the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila faulted the scheme.

The National Assembly leaders stated that the Social Investment
Programme which was established in 2016 under the Presidency, needs to
be reformed to become effective and efficient.

In a statement released by Special Adviser (Media) to the Senate
President Ola Awoniyi, it was learnt that the meeting was also attended
by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Speaker Idris
Wase and some other principal officers and members from both Chambers.

Lawan who insisted that the poorest of the poor are not captured in the scheme, said;

“We feel that we need to work together with you to ensure that there
is effectiveness, there is efficiency, that those who are supposed to
benefit, benefit directly.

“When for example, some conditions are set, that those who will
benefit will have to go online, through the internet or BVN and the rest
of it.

“I want to tell you that the majority of those who are supposed to
benefit have no access to power. They have no access to the internet.
They have no bank account, so no BVN.

“In fact, many of them don’t even have phones and these are the
poorest of the poor. Yet, some of the conditions or guidelines which you
set inadvertently leave them out.

“We believe that when we work together, the Executive side of
government and the National Assembly as representatives of the people,
we will be able to reach much more of these people who are in serious
distress even before the Coronavirus.

“Now with Coronavirus, they need our attention more than ever before.
The time has come that we review the ways and manner we use to deliver
the services under the SIP to Nigerians.

“We need to be better in terms of strategy for delivery and
definitely, what we have been doing in the past cannot deliver exactly
what will solve the challenges of the most ordinary and most vulnerable
Nigerians.

“So we need to put on our thinking cap and work out some strategies
on how to identify the poorest persons in Nigeria. I think we have not
been able to reach far out there to get them properly captured.”

On his own part, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi
Gbajabiamila questioned the parameters employed in knowing those the
programme is meant for.

Gbajabiamila said;

“Your job right now, is probably the most important as we speak,
because you are saddled with the responsibility of alleviating ‘poverty’
or the hardship, due to no fault of anyone, being thrust upon
Nigerians, and I know that you came into a system, or you met a system
that has nothing to do with you, but what we will be asking you to do is
for you to change that system.

“When you walk into a system, no system is 100 perfect. The word
reform is something we use all the time, and this is the one time when
that word reform must be used in the truest sense of that word.

“The questions are going to be asked, how do you come about your
list, how comprehensive is your distribution list? What are the
parameters? What is the geographical spread? So these are tough
questions that are going to be asked but I want you to look at them as
frank questions that we need to ask.

“If you really want to define the meaning of representation, if that
was being practiced in the real meaning of representation, then we
shouldn’t be here. Because of all the questions we want to ask, we
should already have the answers. We should be providing those answers to
the Nigerian people we represent.

“But if they ask me, as the speaker of the House, or ask the Senate
President or any of my colleagues here, we are going to be struggling
for answers. If we were really representing, then we will not need to
ask because we will have the answers.”

The Speaker also revealed that the Committees in the House have been
complaining bitterly even before the Minister took over the scheme,
about the inability to access information about the programme which he
likened to the Unemployment Insurance Act in the UK and the Social
Security Act in the US.

He added;

“There is a lot of take away from this COVID-19. One of them is the
International Best Practices. My point is that these things are backed
by law. They are codified by the legislature so that these issues and
these questions will not arise.”

The Minister, Sadiya Farouq however disclosed that the Social
Investment Programme was moved to her ministry for “sustainability and
institutionalisation.”

She said;

“I am very pleased to hear that we are going to work together to see
that we give legal backing to this program because that is the only way
to go.”

The SIP has gulped over N2 trillion since 2016 when the special
intervention fund was created, as annual budgetary allocation targeted
at the poor. The sum of N500 billion was provided in the budget every
year since 2016.

READ ALSO: Saying N2tr SIP Money for Poor Nigerians being a failure is regrettable & dangerous – Uwais fires back at Lawan and Gbajabiamila

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13 COMMENTS

  1. The above question is Correct, Lai Mohammed say there is no hunger in Nigeria, that they have disbursed 100billion for poor Nigerians, now I ask my question, Who are these poor Nigerians?….. Cause Am a Nigerian, and I tell u there is hunger in Nigeria, here that am a Custard of Garri is sale at the rate of 2,000 yet u say there is no hunger?…. How much is Minimum wages that they sale common Garri at costly as#2,000 ? I held FG want to pay Nigerians #8,500 as help to succeed in this COVID 19 to enable them stay at Home, yet; I haven seen any alert from FG.

    • MR liar Mohammed why everything about you is full of evil that why u came to Nigeria with corona virus this corona virus will destroy and kill all ur family and kill any bad politician around u.80% of Nigeria are poor, out of 80% will have 70% poorest and u said Nigerian are not hungry.make thunder strike u there all Nigeria government Ogun kill all of u tomo tomo

    • The poor people are not afraid of death because dey don't hav anything to loose,the so called Nigeria government asked people to stay at home with hunger,now dey came out to say dey hav giving all the poor people money, nemesis will fall on everyone of you that is working against d poor, coronavirus will clear all of you in juses name,,AMEN the virus entered this country so called Nigeria because of our paddy paddy government

  2. The SIP of a thing, never knew of it in my area, they aren't doing anything talk more of helping the needies, Nigeria needs to consider this program as a way of looting it's citizens money.

  3. God bless u Mr speaker for the ???if the she can answer it correctly.. everybody is using this covic 19 as a time of Hussling..

  4. Is so obvious that no one can stand,I pray for good health to d poor once, but surely those enemies of this country will die, how could a member of house of rep, shearing bread, n been proud of it, God judgement is on them, can u imagine they ask u to give an account, u went n burnt office, is that excuse? Nigerians we must wake up. Is too much y are we so quite, we know where they leaves, can't we visit one n one.if hundred die d rest enjoy is not bad.

  5. Why do we have selfish,heartless people in government?
    How long will this their evil continue?
    Surely they will not escape the judgement of God.
    I guess it's an opportunity to save money for 2023 election,but let us see who is in charge,you or Almighty God

  6. This government is so wicked,pathetic, inconsiderate,liars,evil and posses zero empathy.
    This just another way of looting money as clearly you've not fed Nigerians. The amount of hunger in this Nation has increase astronomically and you're here lying that there's no hunger.
    See, the prayer of this innocent Nigerians you're all cheating on will catch up with you all… God will punish you all, and your entire generations if you don't repent. You all will become miserable one day and nobody will remember you…

  7. Nigeria my country. You people should do something for the Nigeria citizens so that negativity tens we not be happening

  8. Christian just pray for this nation period , the end is near is only our sincere prayers that will change all this evil acts.

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