Second Republic Lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed has said that poor Nigerians are not benefitting from the Federal Government’s social investment and COVID-19 palliative programmes.
He said that although the poor and vulnerable are the intended beneficiaries, many of them are missing out because the government is playing politics with the programmes.
In an interview with Daily Independent, Junaid Mohammed urged the Federal Government to rejig the programmes so that they do not turn to white elephant projects.
He was reacting to comments by the National Assembly leadership describing the programmes as a failure, noting that it was not benefitting the poor.
“I agree with the proposition that if the palliatives aimed at assisting the needy in the country, then the government must go out of its way to ensure that it is properly done and the poor do benefit from it.
“From all indications, the poor are not benefiting from it.
“The same things was said about palliatives were the things that were said about Tradermoni, Marketmoni and other social intervention programmes; that the poor did not benefit from it.
“They didn’t work in the past and they are not working now.
“At the end of the day, the government is playing politics.
“The lies that are being told about the palliatives will come back to bite the President and the government, including the ruling party,” Junaid Mohammed said.
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