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Poorest Nigerians to queue up for N5, 000 soon
The vice president, Yemi Osinbajo has said that in line with a campaign promise made by Muhammadu Buhari, government has set in motion plans to pay N5,000 each to the poorest Nigerians across the country monthly.
Osinbajo stated that government is “currently evaluating the best ways to collapse existing cash transfer and social welfare schemes to ensure consistency and alignment.
“Once this is completed, we will implement the first phase of this programme, using recognised identification platforms and transparent payment solutions”, he added.
Osinbajo (SAN) disclosed this at the 10th Anniversary Lecture of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State entitled, ‘The Nigerian Economy and the Future’.
On the pervasive poverty ravaging the country, Osinbajo said the payment of N5,000 each to poor Nigerians was necessary because “we cannot talk about the economy of the future without addressing how we move people out of poverty.
“One of the most striking promises we made during the campaign was the payment of N5,000 to the poorest Nigerians across the country”, he noted, even as he regretted that today, “about 112 million (66% of Nigerians) are deemed extremely poor, measured by the World Bank parameter of those living on less than US$1.25 per day.”
The vice president observed that the level of poverty explains much of the Nigerian situation because it affects all aspects of life, including why over a million Nigerians die yearly of preventable diseases.
He lamented that while many public servants are being owed arrears of salaries across the country, many traders are experiencing a downturn in sales.
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Seun
June 15, 2015 at 1:57 pm
Mr Vice President, what you are planning to do is unrealistic in the nearest future. How can you create a welfare package when you do not have a comprehensive database of the citizenry. How many of the 180 million Nigerians are on any form of record anywhere in the country? This “well intentioned” motive might turn out to be a money grappling source for a select few and I would like us deviate from moneys that have no real engine for accountability. This could be worse than subsidy. My humble advice as a God loving citizen of Nigeria
billion$
June 15, 2015 at 3:45 pm
Pastor why nau?how will you know the poorest Nigerians??and be sure they are really poor,don’t forget we are Nigerians and we are really smart!!
Oise
June 15, 2015 at 4:42 pm
Even in advanced societies where systems work, a welfarist approach to poverty alleviation has proved to be a time bomb. The real answer is people empowerment. Nigerians are not looking for monthly 5k. What poor Nigerians need is a country where it is possible to survive with dignity, an environment where opportunities for success are accessible to all. Make our systems (power, infrastructure, security, tax regulation, etc) work, and Nigerians will fend for themselves. To hand piece meals to people who have been robbed of the capacity for dignified survival is not something any government should expect to be commended for.
Abdulazeez
June 15, 2015 at 5:07 pm
Lol. we dey wait them. Why not create jobs as a priority first, other things can follow
Jacinta
June 16, 2015 at 8:56 am
Is 5000 naira the issue? Why misplaced priority is the order of the day in this country, I will never know. Always focusing on the symptom, not the root cause. My dear Nigeria??? What shall the righteous say?