A non-profit making organization in Osun, Human, Environmental and Leadership Prevalent Centers (HELP Centers) has charged the Federal Government to ensure transparency and accountability take centre stage in the disbursement of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) funds to the selected poorest of the poor households across the country.
It would be recalled that the National Cash Transfer office (NCTO) under National Social Investment Program (NSIP) through its tweeter handle; (@HUPcct) on 4th of April, 2020, released a statement that from 6th of April 2020, Niger, Osun, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Cross River, Kano, River, Jigawa, EKiti, Oyo, Imo and Baunch will start collecting their Conditional Cash Transfer funds as the disbursement has kicked off in some state including FCT.
HELP Center with technical support from HEDA Resource Center, in a statement released by the organization’s chairman, Mr Azeez Tajudeen, showered commendations on the Federal Government of Nigeria for the disbursement of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) funds to the poorest of the poor households across the country.
The statement reads in part, “HELP center is equally using this medium to inform the general public that, the ongoing Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) disbursement is not a new intervention program specifically designed to relieve the effect of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
“Also, it is not an international donors’ support, but one of the existing programmes carved out from $322.5 million Abacha loots proceeds as an intervention, while other areas covered by the Abacha loots are: National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, N-Power, GEEP-Enterprises and Empowerment Programme and the other. This clarification is made in order to guide the general public as some Nigerians are being mis-informed as if, the disbursement is solely meant for COVID-19 palliative reliefs, rather it is an outstanding payment of CCT funds due for the payment.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria through Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development is charged to be more transparent on the course of disbursement because, the poor beneficial households are critically in need of this fund due to the serious effects of ongoing COVID-19 lockdown in some states including FCT. The office is charged for the transparency because there are several challenges recorded on the National Social Investment Program in the past where the poorest beneficiaries were being short-changed of their collected token as confirmed by HEDA Resources Center, UKAIDS, ANEEJ, ICPC and other agencies that are monitoring the programme.
The organization called on those handling the disbursement to uphold the sanctity of social distancing.
“On maintenance of social distancing, HELP Center enjoyed all the staff of NSIO, concerned state spokepersons and other agencies that involve in the disbursement to remain strict to the maintenance of social distance of the people as emphasized by Federal Government of Nigeria through which some states like Lagos and Osun have recently passed COVID-19 emergency law in their states. To this effect, more security agencies need to be carried along during the disbursement so that, beneficial communities would not breach the social distance law as it were.”
HELP center also commended the federal government for the initiative adding its proactiveness has helped forestall bigger crisis.
“We hereby commend Federal Government of Nigeria especially, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social development for their pro-activeness especially during COVID-19 pandemic and also call on general public not to relent in supporting good intension of the government as a means to jointly put an end to COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria.”
