COVID-19: PDP Charges NASS To Ensure Transparency in N500bn Intervention Proposal

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