• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ad Rates
  • Submit News
  • Contact Us
The Eagle Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Politics
  • Column
  • Business
  • Life & Style
    • Crime
    • R&D Health
    • Diet and Fitness
    • Intimacy
  • Entertainment
    • Photos
    • Fashion
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Advert Rates
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Politics
  • Column
  • Business
  • Life & Style
    • Crime
    • R&D Health
    • Diet and Fitness
    • Intimacy
  • Entertainment
    • Photos
    • Fashion
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Advert Rates
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The Eagle Online
No Result
View All Result

SERAP gives FG seven days to disclose details of N729b paid to 24.3m poor Nigerians

Hassan Muaz by Hassan Muaz
January 24, 2021
in Business, Economy
3 min read
0
SERAP to Buhari: Revoke assent to CAMA
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterWhatsApp

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged Sadia Umar-Farouk, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, to “publish details of proposed payments of N729bn to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months, including the mechanisms and logistics for the payments, list of beneficiaries, and how they have been selected, projected payments per state, and whether the payments will be made in cash or through Bank Verification Numbers or other means.”

SERAP also urged her to “explain the rationale for paying N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, which translates to five-percent of the country’s budget of N13.6 trillion for 2021, and to clarify if this proposed spending is part of the N5.6 trillion budget deficit.”

Umar-Farouk had last week disclosed that the Federal Government would pay about 24.3 million poor Nigerians N5,000 each for a period of six months to “provide help to those impoverished by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In the Freedom of Information request dated January 23, 2021, signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “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.”

SERAP said: “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.”

SERAP also urged Umar-Farouk 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.”

The FoI request read in part: “We would be grateful if the requested information is provided to us within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act to compel you to comply with our request.

“Providing support and assistance to socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians is a human rights obligation but the programme to spend five-percent of the 2021 budget, which is mostly based on deficit and borrowing, requires anti-corruption safeguards to ensure the payments go directly to the intended beneficiaries, and that public funds are not mismanaged or diverted.

“SERAP notes that the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended], UN Convention against Corruption, and African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party require the government to set the highest standards of transparency, accountability and probity in programmes that it oversees.

“The government has a responsibility to ensure that these requirements and other anti-corruption controls are fully implemented and monitored, and that the payments are justified in light of the huge budget deficit and borrowing, and whether there are better ways to spend N729bn to support poor Nigerians.

“Several questions remain as to the implementation and monitoring mechanisms for the payments, and whether this is the best and most effective way to spend N729bn to support socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians.

“Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Freedom of Information Act, and UN Convention against Corruption, African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, and African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

“By Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011, and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, SERAP is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information, including information on details of beneficiaries of the direct payments of N729bn.

“By Section 4 (a) of the FoI Act, when a person makes a request for information from a public official, institution or agency, the public official, institution or urgency to whom the application is directed is under a binding legal obligation to provide the applicant with the information requested for, except as otherwise provided by the Act, within seven days after the application is received.

“By Sections 2(3)(d)(V) & (4) of the FoI Act, there is a binding legal duty to ensure that documents containing information including information on details of payments of N729bn to N24.3 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians are widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means.

“The information being requested does not come within the purview of the types of information exempted from disclosure by the provisions of the FoI Act. The information requested for as indicated above, apart from not being exempted from disclosure under the FoI Act, bothers on an issue of national interest, public concern, interest of human rights, social justice, good governance, transparency and accountability.”

RelatedPosts

COVID-19: Nigeria expects three types of vaccines – PTF

Dangote Sugar increases production by 13.7% despite #EndSARS, COVID-19

NPHCDA begins online registration of Nigerians for COVID-19 vaccination

Tags: COVID-19EFCCICPCKolawole OluwadareSadia Umar-FaroukSERAP
Share28Tweet18SendShare7

Related Posts

COVID-19: People being smuggled to circumvent lockdown order — LG Boss

COVID-19: Nigeria expects three types of vaccines – PTF

March 1, 2021
Dangote Sugar increases production by 13.7% despite #EndSARS, COVID-19

Dangote Sugar increases production by 13.7% despite #EndSARS, COVID-19

March 1, 2021
COVID-19: Ekiti stakeholders call for concerted efforts to contain spread as churches reopen

NPHCDA begins online registration of Nigerians for COVID-19 vaccination

March 1, 2021
Hollywood actress rocks Ankara print at Golden Globe Awards + Photo

Hollywood actress rocks Ankara print at Golden Globe Awards + Photo

March 1, 2021
Woman bills job seeker N6m for placement in EFCC

Ignore fake recruitment advert on WhatsApp, EFCC urges Nigerians

March 1, 2021
NGE condemns abduction of students, seeks revisit of Safe School Initiative

NGE condemns abduction of students, seeks revisit of Safe School Initiative

March 1, 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

COVID-19 Update

COVID-19: Nigeria expects three types of vaccines – PTF

No COVID-19 vaccines for under-18 – PTF

Dangote Sugar increases production by 13.7% despite #EndSARS, COVID-19

NPHCDA begins online registration of Nigerians for COVID-19 vaccination

Hollywood actress rocks Ankara print at Golden Globe Awards + Photo

Most Read

  • I know those behind abduction of Zamfara schoolgirls, it’ll shock you — Gov. Matawalle

    I know those behind abduction of Zamfara schoolgirls, it’ll shock you — Gov. Matawalle

    381 shares
    Share 152 Tweet 95
  • Primate Ayodele to Governors: Don’t beg Northerners to bring food to South West

    344 shares
    Share 138 Tweet 86
  • 2023: I’ll kill any Yoruba politician who campaigns for presidency — Sunday Igboho + Video

    207 shares
    Share 83 Tweet 52
  • Fraudster reveals new strategy in stealing from bank accounts through SIM cards + Video

    317 shares
    Share 127 Tweet 79
  • Two armed robbery suspects nabbed in action in Ogun

    188 shares
    Share 75 Tweet 47
  • UNILORIN student attacked while reading in lecture hall, hospitalised

    160 shares
    Share 64 Tweet 40

Ease Slash


Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.







https://theeagleonline.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/VID-20200510-WA0000.mp4

Chat with us now

Most Commented

  • I know those behind abduction of Zamfara schoolgirls, it’ll shock you — Gov. Matawalle

    I know those behind abduction of Zamfara schoolgirls, it’ll shock you — Gov. Matawalle

    381 shares
    Share 152 Tweet 95
  • 2023: I’ll kill any Yoruba politician who campaigns for presidency — Sunday Igboho + Video

    207 shares
    Share 83 Tweet 52
  • Kidnap of students unacceptable, schools should not be places of fear – NGO

    70 shares
    Share 28 Tweet 18

Latest

Driver arrested with human heads in Ondo + Photo

Driver arrested with human heads in Ondo + Photo

March 1, 2021
COVID-19: People being smuggled to circumvent lockdown order — LG Boss

COVID-19: Nigeria expects three types of vaccines – PTF

March 1, 2021
Plateau United management imposes ‘No result, no pay’ rule on players, officials after home loss

US hails Buhari over appointment of New Service Chiefs

March 1, 2021
Residents, motorists excited as Apapa gridlock eases

Residents, motorists excited as Apapa gridlock eases

March 1, 2021
Obi hails Okonjo-Iweala on WHO appointment

APC chieftain lauds President Buhari as Okonjo-Iweala assumes WTO job

March 1, 2021




  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Politics
  • Column
  • Business
  • Life & Style
  • Entertainment
  • Advert Rates
  • Contact Us

© 2020 Premium Eagle Media Limited.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Politics
  • Column
  • Business
  • Life & Style
    • Crime
    • R&D Health
    • Diet and Fitness
    • Intimacy
  • Entertainment
    • Photos
    • Fashion
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Advert Rates
  • Contact Us

© 2020 Premium Eagle Media Limited.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.