The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to investigate the delay in disbursing the conditional cash transfer to some nominees of the Household Upliftment Programme of the Federal Government.
This is just as the House during a plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, resolved to constitute an ad-hoc committee to probe the delay in the payment of the funds, with a mandate to report back in four weeks.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East Federal Constituency, Oyo State, Mr Abbas Adigun.
Recall that the Federal Government in partnership with the World Bank, developed a Social Safety Nets Programme for Nigeria in September 2016, with the National Cash Transfer Office charged with the responsibility for the implementation of the Household Uplifting Programme-Conditional Cash Transfers that cater for poor and vulnerable households across the country.
The programme was conceived as part of the Federal Government’s larger growth and social inclusion strategies aimed at addressing key social concerns in the country.
Speaking on the substance of the motion, Adigun, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party said, “To ensure effective and efficient delivery of the programme in August 2024, nominees were informed that they will be paid the sum of N 50,000 each for three months.
“The details of the nominees were filled online in the portal dedicated to the programme and thereafter submitted to the National Cash Transfer Office
“The payment was to be made directly to the nominees’ bank accounts nationwide and was aimed at cushioning the effect of the economic hardship of the nominees, who are mostly the poor and vulnerable.”
He however lamented that some nominees received payment months after the information was completed and submitted to the portal, “While other nominees have not, and that the National Cash Transfer Office has not responded to the payment of other nominees to date.”