The House of Representatives Committees on Constituency Outreach and Poverty Alleviation has on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Humanitarian Affair and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, to appear before the house for a briefing on the formula adopted by the Ministry for the distribution of the sum of N1.1 trillion conditional cash transfer to 15 million households across the country.
The Minister's invitation followed a motion of urgent public importance brought before the house during plenary by the lawmaker representing Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency, Osun State, Morufu Adebayo.
Betta had earlier in a statement announced that following the approval of the sum of N1.1 trn for the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer Grant Programme, the Ministry would begin the distribution of the fund from 17th October, 2023.
The Minister also noted that work was ongoing to expand and update the Social Register in order to include more beneficiaries in the Conditional Cash Transfer grant programme.
Opening the debate in the floor of the House of Rep, Adebayo disclosed that there has been a lot of unsatisfactory feedback from the ways and manners palliative to vulnerable Nigerians have been handled by some ministries, departments and agencies which has not in any way reduced hardship in the land.
"It is pertinent to remind this honourable House about the ugly scenario witnessed during the COVID-19 palliative distribution a few years ago, where items from international donors meant to cushion the effect of the pandemic were mismanaged," he added.
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Adebayo explained that the conditional cash transfer grant 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 the country.
He furthered that the scheme is one of the 15 items in the memorandum of understanding between the Federal Government and organized labour on October 2, 2023, which confirmed that 15 million households will be receiving N25,000 each for three months.
The house of rep is worried that there is a growing suspicion over the ways and manners the Conditional Cash Transfer grant programme is being implemented.
The house is also worried that lack of transparent handling of the previous conditional cash transfer programmes led to corruption and fraud, where funds intended for vulnerable people were misappropriated by individuals.
It is on this backdrop that the house invited the minister to give detailed policy documents adopted in allocation and distribution of funds for the conditional cash transfer to ensure transparency and accountability which are fundamental principles of good governance.
The Minister is yet to respond to the summon as at the time of filing this report.
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