Press Statement
…Worried By Fraud Allegations in FG Palliatives Pay out
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charges the National Assembly to
comprehensively scrutinize the overall profile of the N500 billion
proposed by the Federal Government as intervention fund against the
COVID-19 pandemic so as to ensure that the fund reached the desired
target.
The party urged the legislature to examine the expenditure layout and
put adequate clauses to eliminate diversion, ensure prudence as well as
guarantee broad-based transparency in target-specific disbursements
across all need areas in the fight against the pandemic.
The PDP’s call is predicated on apprehensions in the public space over
allegations of fraudulent diversion of fund in the recent disbursement
of N20,000 social palliatives, with many Nigerians rejecting the figures
put out by the Federal Government.
The party therefore urged the National Assembly to demand the Federal
government to furnish it with details of how the N500bn would be spent;
what amount would be spent on interventions on individuals and families
as well as a template that guarantees that the fund gets to the targeted
vulnerable Nigerians.
The PDP insists that such information should also include details of
what each state of the federation gets; the parameters for allocations,
the monitoring system as well as foolproof measures to plug all
loopholes and check fraud.
The Federal Government needs to place these details before the National
Assembly. This money, which is to be mopped up from various special
government accounts, belongs to Nigerians. As such, the National
Assembly must ensure that it is fully utilised for their wellbeing.
The PDP therefore urged the National Assembly to instill checks and
balances by providing that the implementation must involve trusted and
transparent eminent Nigerians from the private sector to further
guarantee accountability and overall confidence of Nigerians in the
scheme.
Furthermore, the PDP called on the National Assembly to direct a quick
investigation into allegations of fraudulent diversion of palliative
money in the cash disbursement of N20,000 to some Nigerians, by the
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social
Development, Sadiya Farouk.
This investigation has become imperative given allegations that the
resort to cash disbursement directly by a minister instead of using cash
disbursement facilities by the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN), is part of
the design to manipulate the system, stifle accountability and pave way
for the alleged syphoning of huge chunk of the funds.
The PDP urged the National Assembly to order the minister to immediately
account for the money, given outcry by Nigerians that bulk of the fund
did not get to designated beneficiaries.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
