COVID-19: FG advised on how to transfer money to Nigerians

Amidst the ongoing distribution of #20,000 palliative to cushion the impact of the lockdown ordered by the federal government to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country, Anti-corruption advocacy group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has called the government to transfer the money to Nigerians electronically rather than physical payment.

The group advised the government that transferring #5000 to the people electronically would be cost effective compared to physical method that is currently devised. The group also demanded for the details of the schoolchildren that are benefiting from the school feeding programme which the government keep running despite the lockdown in some states.

These requests were made in the freedom of information request that the group sent to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, Ms Sadia Umar-Farouk.

In a different FOL request sent to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, SERAP also demanded the “spending details of public funds and private sector donations to provide socio-economic benefits to the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people, including details of beneficiaries of any cash payments, cash transfers, food distribution and other benefits during the lockdown in Abuja; Lagos and Ogun states because of COVID-19.”

In the letter to Umar-Farouk, SERAP said, “Rather than making physical cash payments to the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people, we urge you to begin electronic cash transfers to all beneficiaries through individuals’ Bank Verification Numbers, already available through the banks. This would be cost-effective at this time of crisis, provide immediate and significant benefits, as well as give individuals and families the freedom to spend the money on goods and services that best meet their particular needs.”