The Federal Government, on
Thursday, alleged that some beneficiaries of its N5, 000 monthly stipends under
the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme are being extorted and bullied.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s
Senior Adviser on Social Investments, Mrs Mariam Uwais made the revelation at
the launch of the Third-Party Monitors for the National Social Safety Nets
Project in Abuja.
The Presidential aide stated that
there had been reports of extortion and bullying of beneficiaries in some
communities.
Uwais, however, assured that
payment of the N5,000 monthly stends to the poor and the vulnerable households
would continue.
She disclosed that the matter has
been reported to relevant security agencies, while the Independent Corrupt
Practices Commission (ICPC) would be involved in cases where state officials
are allegedly involved.
“The reported attempts to extort
or bully them comes from random quarters like the youths in the communities,
sometimes it’s the community leaders and traditional rulers who levy them.
“It’s really important that we do
not allow people to steal from the poor. So the challenge is how to support and
protect them so that they are not duped by others,” she said.
Speaking, the National
Coordinator, National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), Mr Iorwa
Apera called for the involvement of Civil Society Organisation, CSOs.
Apera said involving CSOs as
Third-Party Monitors would ensure transparency and accountability in the cash
transfer programme.
“We believe this process will
encourage transparency and accountable behaviour from service providers.
“The Third-Party Monitoring is
designed to have state-based Civil Society Organisations with experience and
technical capacity, monitor the cash transfer programme in the states we
operate.
“It will also serve as a
mechanism through which beneficiaries and their communities can gain confidence
in their ability to get quality service,” he added.
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