Social Intervention Fund: Ndume Against Online Selection
The Senate leader Ali Ndume has objected to the adoption of online registration to pick beneficiaries of Federal Government’s N500 billion Social Intervention Fund.
Ndume, representing Borno South in the red chamber, told reporters in Maiduguri that he had observed that using internet registration for the programme would deprive many eligible Nigerians from benefiting.
Intervention programme on a wrong footing, says Ndume
”The N500 billion Social Intervention Fund has started on a wrong footing. So, we are not going to agree. We are not going to let it pass like previous interventions without tangible gains.
”We do not want it to be like the SureP where nobody was sure, ” Ndume said.
He also criticised the concept of MPower, which required teachers, market women, and graduates to register online, as ”faulty.”
“How can they say that everybody must go online and register when most states are offline. In fact, Borno is even worst than offline, ” Ndume said.
The programme must be done on LGA basis – Ndume
He then predicted that registering online could end up in corrupt practice as some individuals used fake names to register.
“The National Assembly is going to insist that the programme must be done on Local Government basis, or even on ward basis, because there is no ward in Nigeria without a qualified graduate.
”So let each ward or LGA be represented like we did during the police recruitment. ”
He said that he position was based on the outcome of similar programs in the past.
”What they do is to hire a consultant who will charge about 5 per cent of the total money as his fee and by the time you remove 5 per cent of N 500 billion you have already started depleting the resources.
”Again, the consultant will start asking the participants to go to one portal and register with scratch card, this is also unacceptable, “Ndume said.
He further disclosed that the National Assembly would deliberate on the issue next Wednesday with a view to taking a stand.
