‘Account for 5m Beneficiaries’, Atiku picks holes in FG’s Cash Transfer Scheme

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has questioned the lack of transparency in the Tinubu administration's cash-transfer programme, estimating that around ₦600 billion was distributed to slightly over 10 million households. The figures presented by the administration appear inconsistent, with conflicting declarations made at different times.

Atiku argues that the administration's handling of the programme lacks accountability, relying on press releases and numerical convenience rather than concrete evidence. The arithmetic presents further concerns, as the costs outlined by the government do not match the reported expenditure. Atiku emphasizes the need for a clear audit trail, including information on which households received payments, the frequency of the payments, and any failed or reversed transactions.

He also criticizes the administration's approach to poverty, stating that it merely treats the issue as a government program to be managed rather than addressing the root causes of economic hardships. Atiku advocates for a targeted, capped, and transparent intervention in the domestic petroleum value chain to alleviate the pressures that have led to the current economic challenges.