Accountability: SERAP urges government to provide details of N729bn payments to 24.3m Nigerians

*Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project suggests publishing the details of beneficiaries and selection criteria as well as the payment plan for six months to promote transparency and accountability while removing risks of mismanagement of public funds

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

In order to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public funds in the country,  the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Honourable  Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, to “publish details of proposed payments of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months.”

Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP, in a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, dated January 23, 2021, called for the details of the proposed payments and urged Hajiya Farouq to “explain the rationale for paying N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians.”

SERAP, which stated these payments amount to five percent of the Nigeria’s budget of N13.6 trillion for 2021, and to clarify if this proposed spending is part of the N5.6 trillion budget deficit.”

Recall the Minister announced that the Federal Government would pay about 24.3 million poor Nigerians N5,000 each for six months to “provide help to those impoverished by the COVID-19 pandemic”.

“Publishing the details of beneficiaries and selection criteria as well as the payment plan for six months would promote transparency and accountability and remove the risks of mismanagement and diversion of public funds.”

“Transparency and accountability in the programme would improve public trust, and allow Nigerians to track and monitor its implementation, and to assess, if the programme is justified, as well as to hold authorities to account in cases of diversion, mismanagement and corruption,” said the organisation.

It, therefore, urged Farouq to “invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to jointly track and monitor the payments.