NEWS
Activists Urge FG To Invest N500bn Palliatives In Infrastructure
As there is no reliable data system to carry out a transparent, effective process, civil rights activists have criticized the National Assembly’s approval of President Bola Tinubu’s request for N500 billion to mitigate the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies on the poor. They note that the money would be better invested in infrastructure.
The responses followed Tinubu’s request on Thursday for “approval of an additional $800m for the funding of the National Safety Programme,” under which the Federal Government will distribute N8,000 per month to 12,000,000 low-income and destitute households for a period of six months. Direct digital transfers of the money will be made to the recipients’ bank accounts and mobile wallets.
Meanwhile, the policy has been greeted with several reactions from opposition parties, the Nigerian Labour Congress and other stakeholders.
In a telephone conversation with Saturday PUNCH, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, said the need of Nigerians was not N8,000 monthly, but relief through infrastructure in the transportation, electricity, food production, and health care sectors,
He added that sharing of money would result to having funds that would not be accounted for.
He argued that there were no frameworks on how the indigent individuals would be identified, hence, the mechanism for sharing the fund had not been put in place.
“I think what Nigerians are looking for is relief in the area of transportation facilities. Nigerians are looking for relief in the area where potential services like electricity are stable, places where they can invest in food productions, areas where they can get relief in terms of healthcare.
“There are no frameworks on how to identify the vulnerable. Also, the mechanism for sharing the money is also not in place. There is some guide for community leaders, religious leaders, labour leaders, civil society groups, and even the NBA and FIDA.
“If you want to do a transparent something and to ensure that the money goes to the right set of persons, you must have this category of persons in every community, and what they should do is to ensure that any money that will be given should go to the entire local government such that the money is not in the hands of one agency,” he noted.
Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is set to address a world press conference at his residence in Abuja on Friday.
The specific reason for the media briefing has not been disclosed as of the time of filing this report.
SEE ALSO: Mambilla: ICC Orders Sunrise Power to Pay Nigeria $11.8m After 9-Year Battle
Atiku’s planned engagement comes amid several developments attracting public attention, including a recent report from TheCable concerning a $500,000 payment allegedly transferred in 2003 to his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, by Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
TheCable reported that Adesanya told an international arbitration tribunal that the payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction carried out for Atiku.
The report further stated that the payment was made through China Castle Investments Limited, an offshore company controlled by Adesanya.
The development comes shortly after an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal ruled in favour of Nigeria in the $2.35 billion arbitration dispute brought by Sunrise Power over the Mambilla hydropower project.
The tribunal also ordered Sunrise Power and its promoter to reimburse Nigeria for a portion of its legal fees and expenses.
However, there is currently no official indication that Atiku’s scheduled press conference is connected to the Sunrise Power report, the arbitration ruling or any other specific issue.
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that no one found culpable in the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State will be shielded.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, gave the assurance in a statement released on Friday while expressing the Federal Government’s condolences to the Niger State Government, the families of the deceased and the people of the Wushishi community.
The deaths occurred following the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations against illegal mining activities in the Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Niger State.
ALSO READ: 37 Miners’ Deaths: Interior Minister Arrives Minna, Set to Inspect Detention Centre
Idris said the circumstances surrounding the deaths require a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation, stressing that the government’s responsibility is to establish the facts and ensure justice is served.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had ordered the suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and directed a full investigation into the incident.
“The swift action taken by the Honourable Minister of Interior underscores the seriousness with which the Federal Government views this matter,” Idris said.
He added that the investigation would be allowed to establish exactly what happened and that appropriate action would be taken based on its findings.
“There will be no attempt to shield anyone found culpable. At the same time, we mustn’t prejudge the outcome of the investigation. The Government’s responsibility is to ensure that the facts are established and that justice is served,” the minister said.
Idris stressed that while the Federal Government remains committed to combating illegal mining and other unlawful activities, enforcement operations must be conducted within the law and with respect for human life and dignity.
He appealed for calm in Wushishi and across Niger State, urging residents and other concerned parties to allow the investigation to proceed without interference.
The minister also assured the families of the deceased and the people of Niger State that the Federal Government shares in their grief and remains committed to fully establishing the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Friday arrived at the Niger State Government House in Minna following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The minister’s visit comes as pressure mounts on authorities to explain the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detainees.
SEE ALSO: How Can 37 Suspected Illegal Miners Die in Gov’t Custody? Nigerians Demand Answers
Tunji-Ojo is expected to meet with officials of the Niger State Government as part of his visit to the state.
He is also expected to proceed to the detention centre where the suspected illegal miners were held before their deaths.
The incident has sparked public concern and protests in Minna, with residents demanding answers over the deaths of the detainees while in government custody.
The Federal Government has ordered an investigation into the incident, while the Niger State NSCDC commandant has been suspended pending the outcome of the probe.
Details shortly…….
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