President Bola Tinubu has ordered a review of the N8,000 earlier set aside as palliative for 12 million households for six months, even as the government remains silent on the N70 billion allocated to lawmakers.
A statement by Dele Alake, special adviser to the President on special duties, communications and strategy, on Tuesday, said the decision to review the policy was “in deference to the views expressed by Nigerians against it”.
The government was however silent on the allocation of N70 billion to members of the National Assembly from the N500 billion set aside as interventions to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
There has been huge public outcry over the distribution of the funds.
Alake, while noting that it has become part of the culture of Tinubu’s administration to constantly dialogue with Nigerians who voted him into office, said the welfare and security of Nigerians “will be topmost in the Renewed Hope Agenda of his government”.
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Alake noted that both the “conventional and new media platforms have become awash with stories of the government intending to embark on conditional cash transfer to vulnerable households mostly affected by the painful but necessary decision to remove subsidy from petrol”.
The story has been widely reported that the Federal Government is proposing to give 12 million households from the poorest of the poor N8,000 monthly for a period of six months as government palliative to reduce the discomfort being experienced by Nigerians consequent upon subsidy removal.
He however noted that a “lot of ill-informed imputations have been read into the programme by not a few naysayers, adding that the “Administration believes in the maxim that when there is prohibition, there must be provision.
He said: “Since subsidy, the hydra-headed monster threatening to kill the economy, has been stopped, government has emplaced a broad spectrum of reliefs to bring help to Nigerians.
“While it should be noted that cash programme is not the only item in the whole gamut of relief package of President Bola Tinubu, as a listening leader who has vowed to always put Nigerians at the heart of his policy and programme.
“President therefore, directed that the N8,000 conditional cash transfer programmed envisaged to bring succour to most vulnerable households be reviewed immediately. This is in deference to the views expressed by Nigerians against it. That the whole gamut of palliative package of government be unveiled to Nigerians.”
He also directed an immediate release of fertilisers and grains to approximately 50 million farmers and households respectively in all the 36 states and the FCT.
The President further assures Nigerians that the N500 billion approved by parliament to cushion the pain occasioned by the end of subsidy regime will be judiciously utilised.
“The beneficiaries of the reliefs shall be Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political affiliation.
Tinubu also promised to always prioritise the wellbeing of Nigerians and he is irrevocably committed to the vow, adding that “a number of decisions taken so far by this Administration have buttressed this stance.
Alake said: “You will recall that the President took a similar decision after listening to complaints from the business community/stakeholders about burdensome taxes, particularly multiplicity of taxes they are made to experience. This warranted the signing of four Executive Orders cancelling some classes of taxes, while suspending the implementation dates of others.
“In addition, the President has also set up a Tax Reform/Fiscal Policy Committee to bring up recommendations that will engender a wholesome fiscal environment for the country and remove anti-business barriers.”
He assured Nigerians that he will continue to be a listening leader whose ears will not be dull to the views expressed by the citizenry.
“The President believes government exists to cater for the interest of the people and he has demonstrated this so clearly.”
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