Reps Summon Minister Over N1tr Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme

The House of Representatives, yesterday, resolved to invite Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, over modalities adopted in the distribution of N25,000 monthly to 15 million households in 90 days.

The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Morufu Adebayo (Osun: PDP) at plenary.

President Bola Tinubu had flagged-off the Renewed Hope conditional cash transfer programme to uplift poor and vulnerable Nigerians, as an immediate intervention to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal and other economic shocks.

Gulping about N1.1 trillion, the scheme is one of 15 items in the Memorandum of Understanding struck by the Federal Government and Organised Labour on October 2.

Moving the motion, Adebayo regretted that there had been a lot of unsatisfactory feedback regarding handling of the programme by some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Recalling the COVID-19 saga a couple of years ago, where donated items for the citizens were mismanaged, the lawmaker insisted the distribution process had not reduced hardship in the land.

He said: “Cognisant that the National Assembly members, being closer to the people and meant to represent the interest and concerns of their constituents at the national level, deserved to be fully briefed and carried along in the implementation process.”

Consequently, the House mandated its Committees on Constituency Outreach and Poverty Alleviation to invite the minister to furnish the lower legislative chamber with every detail relating to the programme to ensure transparency and accountability.