COVID-19: Your claims are false, dangerous - Buhari’s adviser replies NASS leadership
- President Buhari's aide has replied the National Assembly leadership after they faulted the government's distribution of relief package
- The senior adviser to the president on social investments described the claims made by Femi Gbajabiamila and Ahmed Lawan as false
- The presidential aide also dismissed allegations that the beneficiaries were made to apply online and needed a BVN for payment
Mariam Uwais, the senior adviser to the president on social investments, has responded to the leadership of the National Assembly who faulted the implementation of the social investment programme (NSIP) funds during the coronavirus lockdown.
According to Premium Times, the presidential aide in a statement on Wednesday, April 8, described the lawmakers’ claims on the distribution as false, “regrettable and dangerous.”
The National Assembly leadership had faulted the approach adopted by the federal government to distribute social grants to Nigerians who suffer the impact of the coronavirus lockdown.
The special adviser to the president on social investment went on to deny the allegations that the beneficiaries needed BVN for payment and were required to apply online, through the internet.
Source: Twitter
She said: “Furthermore, payment service providers have been selected in an open procurement process to pay the cash beneficiaries at their locations, as many of them reside in communities where there is a dearth of banking infrastructure.”
“Even though the majority of beneficiaries are not financially literate, the National Social Investment Office (NSIO, then under the Office of the Vice President) commenced the pilot exercise of payment of beneficiaries in 6 States through microfinance banks in September 2019, with a 93% success rate.”
President Buhari's aide explained that the process of picking beneficiaries involves a poverty mapping of the local government areas in each state. Uwais added that the data collated is finally subjected to a testing formula to determine those who get the grants.
Uwais said the statement by the Senate leadership that the NSIP information was not accessible to the National Assembly was untrue.
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Legit.ng previously reported that the leadership of the National Assembly tackled the federal government over the disbursement of the Social Investment Programme (SIP) funds during the coronavirus lockdown.
Speaking with Sadiya Umar Farouq, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, in Abuja on Tuesday, April 7, the NASS leaders, Femi Gbajabiamila of House of Representatives and Senate president bemoaned how the money is being disbursed.
They argued that those who ought to be beneficiaries are partly left out because of the ministry's current arrangement.
It would be recalled that the federal government started the transfer of N20,000 to poor households in the Kwali area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
Umar-Farouk on Wednesday, April 1, said that this is part of President Muhammadu Buhari's plan to help vulnerable Nigerians to cope with the lockdown order over coronavirus.
Umar-Farouk added that the disbursement of the funds will continue for four months starting from March.
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