Reps invite minister over N1.1trn conditional transfer

The House of Representatives has invited the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, over the formula for the planned distribution of N1.1 trillion as a conditional cash transfer to 15 million households.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Rep. Abdulmaruf Adebayo (PDP-Osun) during plenary in Abuja on Tuesday.

Presenting the motion, Adebayo said that the conditional cash transfer was an intervention by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of the removal of petrol subsidies on vulnerable Nigerians.

He said that the cash transfer was one of the 15 items in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the government and organised labour on Oct. 2.

He added that there had been negative feedback from Nigerians over the ways and manners in which palliatives were distributed to vulnerable Nigerians by government agencies in the past.

He said items from international donors meant to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were mismanaged.

He said the World Bank country representative, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri, confirmed that cash transfers were widely applicable to reduce poverty.

He said the removal of fuel subsidies necessitated the introduction of various programmes, policies, and interventions to alleviate and boost the economics of families and small businesses.

He said lawmakers at the National Assembly, being closer to the people, were meant to represent the interests and concerns of their constituents at the national level.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated the committee on constituency outreach and the committee on poverty alleviation to invite the minister to the House.