The lack of transparency and the unavailability of information regarding the Nigerian government’s planned cash transfer palliative programme have led to many Nigerians being scammed into paying money to be enlisted for payment.
Development Diaries reports that President Bola Tinubu, in his October Independence Day anniversary speech, promised that the distribution of cash palliatives to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal would commence in October.
‘Commencing this month, the social safety net is being extended through the expansion of cash transfer programmes to an additional 15 million vulnerable households’, the president said.
However, what the public has yet to be informed of is how the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development plans to go about the disbursement.
In light of this, it has been discovered that some dubious Nigerians have begun tricking unsuspecting citizens into paying a certain amount with the promise of getting them enlisted for the government’s palliatives for 15 million households.
Nigerians ‘defrauded’
In a report by Daily Trust, it was discovered that over 9,000 Nigerians have been made to pay N300 naira each to a group of persons.
These persons are posing as representatives of a certain ‘Honeycomb Foundation’, supposedly a non-governmental organisation (NGO) tasked by the government with gathering beneficiary data.
According to the findings, at least three WhatsApp accounts have been set up by the group, inviting people to join a group called ‘GOVT. PALLIATIVE GROUP’ and promising to include them in the list of recipients of the federal government’s palliative care programme.
Many Nigerians are eager to enlist for government palliative; hence, some would easily fall prey to fraudsters.
While it has been announced that there are different categories of conditional cash transfer (CCT) that will be disbursed to vulnerable and low-income households across the country, Nigerians are still unaware of how this would be done.
Public enlightenment
This is where proper communication and transparency come in. Effective communication allows for public engagement and participation, enabling citizens to provide valuable feedback and hold their leaders accountable.
In this case, due to a lack of proper information, many Nigerians seem to be totally unaware of what is going on, making it easy to fall prey to fraudsters.
Clear and concise communication helps dispel misinformation and rumours. Furthermore, it facilitates the smooth implementation of policies and initiatives by ensuring that stakeholders, including government agencies, local authorities, and the private sector, are on the same page.
Development Diaries calls on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to provide detailed information on the process for cash disbursement.
We also urge the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) to provide information on the details of the NGOs the government is working with to collate the names of beneficiaries for this cash transfer so that Nigerians can identify the fraudsters that pose as NGOs.
Photo source: National Cash Transfer Office
