By Hon. Dayo Akanmode
Recently, the Federal Government dished out some palliative measures to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians due to the sit-at-home directive in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The palliative include: distribution of foodstuffs and Conditional Cash Transfers which has in the last two weeks been a subject to controversy.
There have been allegations and counter allegations on the distribution of food items, distribution of physical cash and conditional money transfers to some less privileged Nigerians.
Some corporate bodies, NGOs, political opponents of the ruling APC have faulted the strategies currently being used as palliative to reach out to targeted Nigerians.
Some critics claimed that the execution of these plans of government was not transparent enough.
This they noted will hinder government from achieving the desired result, thereby tarnishing the federal government’s good intention as such effort might have been sabotaged by officials saddled with the responsibility or activities of middlemen and other channels of distribution.
In the last few weeks, these palliatives have been subject of discussion on the social media, electronic media, in public arenas and print media.
The Covid 19 pandemic government rules and regulations concerning public gatherings, social distancing and the resultant lockdown in many states of the country has compounded the issue of gathering a large number of people for the purpose of distribution of food items which is one of the major strategies of the federal government.
It is obvious that we lack the capacity to distribute food items to each household as it is being currently done in other advanced countries.
Only yesterday, I watched and listened to a debate on Channels Television where a stalwart of PDP accused the Federal Government of not being transparent in the current distribution of Covid 19 palliatives.
He went further to accuse the government of not having data on the distribution methods, the beneficiaries and the amount of money that had been spent so far. This also includes similar initiatives before the Covid 19 outbreak. He gave the examples of the money market cash transfers and empowerment and the school feeding system, He further raised the issue of majority of Nigerians who live on daily wages and have no savings to cope with the current situation.
Considering the current lockdown that has extended to almost all parts of the country, what is the way forward?
Nigerians need to come together and reason. President Muhammadu Buhari should go beyond the Presidential Task Force on Covid 19 made up of top government officials to include all other shades of opinion, public and private sectors across political and economic divide to address this emergency, especially palliatives affecting medical personnel and other very poor Nigerians.
Since the current strategy has not made the desired impact and Nigeria lacks the necessary data that can affect individual needs, I wish to suggest that the Federal Government should take a second look at the use of BVN as the most credible data which can be used to transfer money to many Nigerians who in turn as individuals will affect others because of its multiplier effect.
In addition,Nigeria had conducted census before and there were demarcations made according to households, the last database can still be used with some upward adjustments to distribute food and cash to households.
Furthermore, Religious institutions
like churches and Mosques, can also be used to reach many poor Nigerians who are their members.
Also, the state and local government must be adequately involved in the distribution of food items and other medical equipment for easy access to the grassroot.
Finally, a body should be set up where Nigerians who are sidelined or not captured by the distribution channels can apply to for inclusion, give advice and lay their complaints.
In conclusion, the Federal Government should urgently address all the complaints and loopholes so that Nigeria can be confident that the Federal Government is not paying lip service to the current unfortunate situation. Many Nigerians are praying for urgent divine and medical solution to the current situation but who knows when the solution will come, already there have been report of pockets of armed robbery and other incidents in some parts of the country. The only solution to the current impasse is for an overhaul of the current system to prevent anarchy and civil disobedience.
May God Help Us.
The Drum Reporters 