By Egena Sunday Ode
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered an immediate review of the proposed N8000 cash transfer intended to bring succour to the most vulnerable households following the removal of petrol subsidy.
The reversal of the palliative package which would have about 12 million Nigerians as beneficiaries is in deference to the public outcry, presidency spokesman, Dele Alake, said in a statement on
Tuesday.
Alake noted that though a lot of ill-informed imputation had been read into the programme, Tinubu, being a listening President had to take a second look at the decision.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and sundry organisations and individuals have stoutly opposed the programme, saying that it will not make any impact of the living condition the beneficiaries, preferring instead that the money be channelled to healthcare, roads and similar infrastructure.
Alake said: “You will agree with me that it has become part of the culture of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to constantly dialogue with Nigerians who voted him into office. The President covenanted with Nigerians that their welfare and security will be topmost in the Renewed Hope Agenda of his government.
“In the last few days, the conventional and new media platforms have become awash with stories of the government intending to embark on conditional cash transfer to vulnerable households mostly affected by the painful but necessary decision to remove subsidy from petrol.
:The story has been widely reported that the Federal Government is proposing to give 12 million households from the poorest of the poor N8,000 monthly for a period of six months as government palliative to reduce the discomfort being experienced by Nigerians consequent upon subsidy removal.
“A lot of ill-informed imputations have been read into the programme by not a few naysayers. The Administration believes in the maxim that when there is prohibition, there must be provision. Since subsidy, the hydra-headed monster threatening to kill the economy, has been stopped, government has emplaced a broad spectrum of reliefs to bring help to Nigerians.
“While it should be noted that cash programme is not the only item in the whole gamut of relief package of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a listening leader who has vowed to always put Nigerians at the heart of his policy and programme, the President has directed as follows:-
“That the N8,000 conditional cash transfer programmed envisaged to bring succour to most vulnerable households be reviewed immediately. This is in deference to the views expressed by Nigerians against it.”
He said the President also directed that: “the whole gamut of palliative package of government be unveiled to Nigerians.
“Immediate release of fertilisers and grains to approximately 50 million farmers and households respectively in all the 36 states and the FCT.”
Alake said the the President further assured Nigerians that the N500 billion approved by parliament to cushion the pain occasioned by the end of subsidy regime would be judiciously utilised, adding that the beneficiaries of the reliefs shall be Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political affiliation.
He said President Bola Tinubu had promised to always prioritize the wellbeing of Nigerians and he is irrevocably committed to the vow, adding that
a number of decisions taken so far by the Tinubu administration had buttressed this stance.
“I wish to assure Nigerians that President Tinubu will continue to be a listening leader whose ears will not be dull to the views expressed by the citizenry. The President believes government exists to cater for the interest of the people and he has demonstrated this so clearly,” the statement said.
