President Bola Tinubu has decided to halt his proposed plan to provide a cash transfer of N8,000 to 12 million impoverished households for a duration of six months. The initiative aimed to serve as a government palliative to alleviate the impact of the recent removal of petrol subsidies in the country.
The proposal faced significant opposition from Nigerians who considered it unnecessary and a waste of funds. Many argued that the amount was too small to make a substantial difference, and there were concerns about the accountability in ensuring that the funds reached the poorest households.
In a statement released by Tinubu’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, on Tuesday evening, it was announced that the proposal would be “reviewed” in response to the rejection it received from the public.
Alake emphasized that “a lot of misconceptions have been attached to the program by a few critics,” while stating that the Tinubu administration firmly believed in the principle of “prohibition requires provision.”
Consequently, Tinubu instructed that “the N8,000 conditional cash transfer program, intended to provide relief to the most vulnerable households, be immediately reconsidered in deference to the concerns expressed by Nigerians.”
Alake further revealed that Tinubu had directed for the unveiling of the complete range of government palliative measures to the Nigerian public.
The full statement issued by Alake reads: “It is evident that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu consistently engages in dialogue with the Nigerian people who entrusted him with their votes.
“The President made a commitment to prioritize the welfare and security of Nigerians within the framework of his government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“In recent days, both traditional and digital media platforms have been flooded with reports of the government’s plan to implement a conditional cash transfer program for vulnerable households, particularly those affected by the difficult but necessary decision to remove petrol subsidies.
“The reports have widely circulated that the Federal Government intends to provide a monthly sum of N8,000 to 12 million households from the most impoverished segments of society as a government palliative to alleviate the discomfort experienced by Nigerians due to the subsidy removal.
“Various misconceptions have been spread by a handful of critics regarding this program. The administration firmly believes in the principle that when something is prohibited, there must be a provision.
“Since the subsidy, an economic menace that posed a significant threat, has been eliminated, the government has implemented a comprehensive range of relief measures to assist Nigerians.”
President Bola Tinubu has decided to halt his proposed plan to provide a cash transfer of N8,000 to 12 million impoverished households for a duration of six months. The initiative aimed to serve as a government palliative to alleviate the impact of the recent removal of petrol subsidies in the country.
The proposal faced significant opposition from Nigerians who considered it unnecessary and a waste of funds. Many argued that the amount was too small to make a substantial difference, and there were concerns about the accountability in ensuring that the funds reached the poorest households.
In a statement released by Tinubu’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, on Tuesday evening, it was announced that the proposal would be “reviewed” in response to the rejection it received from the public.
Alake emphasized that “a lot of misconceptions have been attached to the program by a few critics,” while stating that the Tinubu administration firmly believed in the principle of “prohibition requires provision.”
Consequently, Tinubu instructed that “the N8,000 conditional cash transfer program, intended to provide relief to the most vulnerable households, be immediately reconsidered in deference to the concerns expressed by Nigerians.”
Alake further revealed that Tinubu had directed for the unveiling of the complete range of government palliative measures to the Nigerian public.
The full statement issued by Alake reads: “It is evident that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu consistently engages in dialogue with the Nigerian people who entrusted him with their votes.
“The President made a commitment to prioritize the welfare and security of Nigerians within the framework of his government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“In recent days, both traditional and digital media platforms have been flooded with reports of the government’s plan to implement a conditional cash transfer program for vulnerable households, particularly those affected by the difficult but necessary decision to remove petrol subsidies.
“The reports have widely circulated that the Federal Government intends to provide a monthly sum of N8,000 to 12 million households from the most impoverished segments of society as a government palliative to alleviate the discomfort experienced by Nigerians due to the subsidy removal.
“Various misconceptions have been spread by a handful of critics regarding this program. The administration firmly believes in the principle that when something is prohibited, there must be a provision.
“Since the subsidy, an economic menace that posed a significant threat, has been eliminated, the government has implemented a comprehensive range of relief measures to assist Nigerians.”
