[REVEALED] How Top Politicians Hijacked, Fought Over Buhari’s N5000 Monthly Stipends For The Poor

It has been revealed that some top politicians have allegedly hijacked the Federal Government’s N5,000 monthly stipends meant for the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande had announced some weeks back announced the commencement of the payment and explained that under the CCT, one million Nigerians would receive the stipend as a form of social safety net.
Akande said the exercise had commenced with the first batch of beneficiaries from three out of nine states the pilot scheme would cover already collecting the money.
Under the arrangement, he explained that Borno, Kwara and Bauchi states had started paying the money, while beneficiaries in Cross River, Niger, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti states would smile soon.
An Investigation carried out by PUNCH in the states that have started the payment of the stipends revealed the hijack and contrary to widespread belief that the N5,000 will be shared per person, the administrators of the scheme in Kwara were observed giving N5,000 to an entire household.
KWARA
In Kwara, government had said 10,700 ‘households’ were currently benefitting from the first phase of the programme in the state.
But two factional Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Mr. Iyiola Oyedepo and Mr. Sunday Fagbemi, said they were not aware that anybody or any of their party members had got the stipends.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Media and Communication, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, however, insisted that 12 local government areas were participating in the first phase, while the remaining four LGAs would be considered for the second phase.
Akorede said the Kwara State Government was fully involved in selecting the beneficiaries.
He said the selection process was based on data collected for the World Bank-supported Youth Employment and Social Support Operation, where each community identified those considered as poor.
But Oyedepo said he was not aware that the payment had commenced in the state, adding that PDP was not carried along in the selection of the beneficiaries.
According to the state government, beneficiaries in the 12 councils of Asa, Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Oke-Ero, Isin, Ifelodun, Offa, Edu, Patigi, Kaiama and Moro, have started benefitting from the scheme.
But some indigenes of Offa said they were not aware of the stipends being paid.
Among those who spoke on the issue were a 40-year-old commercial motorcycle rider, Omoboriola Abiodun; a 52-year-old petty trader, Mrs. Yusuf Adijatu; a 62-year-old grinding machine operator, Mrs. Lydia Oladele; a 50-year-old bread seller, Mrs. Racheal Olayemi; a 55-year-old bread seller, Mrs. Taibat Omojasola; and a 54-year-old motorcycle rider, Mr. Musliu Rahman.
Rahman said, “I have not heard of the scheme or the payment. I am not aware of any list of poor people in Offa. I don’t think poor people in Offa have received it and I have not been contacted by anybody over the payment of any stipend.”
A recharge card seller at the Muritala Muhammed Way, Ilorin, also stated that he had not benefitted from the scheme.
Likewise, a foodstuff seller at Oja-Oba (market), Mrs. Sadikat Monruf, and a street trader, Saka, said they had not been contacted by any government official concerning the scheme and that none of them had received any stipend.
BORNO
The situation got worse in Borno State as top politicians, including a prominent member of the Senate and a highly placed presidency official from the state, disagreed openly over the beneficiary list.
Few persons were said to have collected the stipend shortly before payment was suspended following a ‘fight’ between the two politicians.
It was gathered that a manual social register was generated for the scheme which gave room for manipulation.
A top government official, on condition of anonymity, said, “It was the pressure mounted on the state government by the two political gladiators that made us settle for manual registration.”
A social activist, Mr. Grema Terab, complained that the administration of the scheme was faulty from the initial stage in Borno.
He said, “The whole exercise was faulty from the inception in Borno; there was no way for many to be registered as there was no formal registration office or centre.
“The state was only able to initially register 6,000 out of its quota of 13,000 due to complacency on the part of those given the task of handling the registration.
“People have no easy access to the form as it was politicised by the coordinators in the state.
“There was no clear information on what they (the applicants) should do or how to go about it was given.”
Many Maiduguri residents also expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the scheme was being carried out in the state.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “My name is on the register but I’ve not received payment. When some of us that had not been paid made enquiries last week, we were told we had a problem with our registration.”
Another resident, who also craved anonymity, asked the Federal Government to stop politicians from interfering with the beneficiaries’ list.
He said, “I am aware that two big politicians determined the list and with this, the real poor people won’t benefit. The government officials will keep the money and give out peanuts to those who go to their house.”