Hamzat Lawal, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Connected Development (CD) has faulted the handling of COVID-19 palliative by the federal government.
CD is a non-government organization (NGO) whose mission is to empower marginalised communities in Africa.
According to him, there is room for improvement in the handling of COVID-19 palliatives.
He stated that citizens at the grassroots only hear about palliatives on the TV or radio but do not receive any economic assistance on the ground. He made this claim while addressing journalists during a Covid- 19 Transparency and Accountability Project, co-hosted by CD and BudgiT in Abuja.
He said some citizens who were beneficiaries of the federal government social schemes such as conditional transfer and homegrown school feeding programme received less than what they were expected to get.
Hamzat noted that technology should have played a big role in the conditional transfer programme of the government.
According to him, the funds should have been disbursed through bank transfers and not through hand payment.
He said: ”When you withdraw billions of naira in cash and then you count and give people by hand are we moving forward or backward as a country? Technology will make this easier and we have block chain technology.”
Hamzat questioned why Nigeria was not imitating countries in East Africa that use the mobile platform to give social grants to citizens. The official argued that cash payments by hand works against the cashless policy and creates room for corrupt practices.
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