As the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) continues to generate controversy, a Federal lawmaker, Ben Kalu, has raised an alarm that there is so much secrecy about the programme.
Kalu, who is the Chairman House Committee on Media, made the claim on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily.
He expressed dissatisfaction at the response by the Special Adviser to the President on NSIP, Mrs Maryam Uwais, who said names of the beneficiaries of the programme cannot be made public.
Earlier, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development had commenced the payment of conditional cash transfer to poor households in Abuja to assuage the effects of COVID-19 lockdown.
A Call For Transparency
Kalu during the interview, however, said the Ministry needed to be more transparent about the disbursement of funds.
He said, “The programme is a wonderful programme but our concern is about the delivery. There is so much secrecy about the programme. They need to be more transparent.”
“Telling us you cannot publish the names of the beneficiaries…we members of the National Assembly, we are entitled to know what you are doing.
“This is based on the Constitution and will also enable us to address the questions coming from members of our constituents concerning the programme,” the lawmaker added.
A Secret Operation?
According to him, there might be need for investigation if the Ministry continues to operate in ‘secrecy’ and without carrying the National Assembly along in its operation.
“To treat the programme is secrecy and then we are asked to ignore it because of protocol…We are not probing them at the moment but if the need arises, we will invite them,” Kalu stressed.
On Tuesday, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, faulted the implementation of the programme after a meeting with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, in Abuja.
They called for the immediate suspension of the register used for the scheme when they were informed by officials that accompanied the Minister to the gathering that some N12 billion was being paid monthly for school feeding programme without verification.
