A survey conducted by ActionAid Nigeria and Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has revealed that only two out of the 19 poor and vulnerable communities have so far benefited from the government palliative to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on them. The revelation is contained in a statement by the two non-profit, non-government organisations published in Abuja on Tuesday.
They survey was part of a collaborative work between CITAD and ActionAid under their Local Right Program to conduct, among other activities, public education campaigns about covid-19 in communities around FCT.
According to Ms. Salma Abdulwaheed, CITAD’s head of Abuja Office who signed the statement, the two organisations noted that their findings were based on a survey carried out to identify communities that have benefited from the provision of palliatives by the government.
The survey discovered that only two communities received any form of support. The two communities include Paspa in Bwari Area Council and Gaube in Kuje Area Council.
The findings, she said, came from the public information centres set up by ActionAid and CITAD in communities around the FCT.
The other communities that are yet to receive any support include Gwalada, Jiwa, Jiwa tsoho, Gofidna, Tungan Ashere, TuganNasara, and Dakwa in Abuja Municipal Council.
Others include Kilankwa, LeleyiBasssa, LeleyiGwari, Pai in Kwali Area Council; Kayache and Tukpheci in Kuje Area Council; Kuchibuyi, Igu and Guto, in Bwari Area Council.
“While we note that beneficiaries are predetermined as they are people already enrolled in the conditional cash transfer of the National Cash Transfer Office, it will be curious if there are no enrolees in these communities.
“We call the Government to look into the situation of these vulnerable groups in these communities as we believe that like any other part of the country, these communities do have extremely poor families.
“We further call on government to ensure a transparent and accountable process that will ensure that benefits reach the real intended beneficiaries.
“Finally, we also call on the Government to work with civil society organisations as partners in responding to the crisis as a situations like the one we are in now is better addressed through a multi-stakeholder process,” the organisations counselled.
The palliatives were part of government’s response to the covid-19 outbreak by a total lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun states.
To cushion the impact of the lockdown on poor and vulnerable communities, President Buhari in a nationwide broadcast directed the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to set up and implement a palliative scheme for targeted poor and vulnerable communities.
