The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged the Federal Government to publish the names and details of beneficiaries of the N33.75 billion reportedly disbursed to 3.29 million households under the National Cash Transfer Programme (NCTP).
The party described the reported discrepancies surrounding the funds as an alleged racket designed to benefit government officials rather than poor Nigerians.
The ADC also demanded clarification over the N585 million allegedly transferred by former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, while calling for answers over other financial irregularities linked to the National Social Investment Programme.
In a statement, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the government of failing to provide adequate accountability for funds meant for vulnerable Nigerians.
“Let us call this what it is. Not mismanagement. Not an oversight. It is an organised racket, which this government has run under the guise of a social intervention programme,” Abdullahi said.
The party alleged that N585 million was transferred to a private account under Edu at the beginning of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, while another N44 billion was allegedly unaccounted for under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
The ADC said the latest concerns followed findings by the Auditor-General of the Federation that N33.75 billion paid to 3,295,207 households across 35 states in 2023 could not be properly matched with verified beneficiaries.
The party also questioned the continued political relevance of Edu, who it said had been suspended following the earlier controversy but later returned to the President’s campaign council.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for a comprehensive audit of the National Cash Transfer Programme.
HURIWA National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, urged the Federal Government to suspend officials of the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) pending a full investigation into the reported discrepancies.
The group also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a forensic investigation into the transactions, trace the funds and recover any money found to have been wrongly paid, diverted or misapplied.
HURIWA said the AuGF findings revealed significant weaknesses in the financial controls surrounding the poverty-alleviation programme.
It raised concerns over incomplete beneficiary information contained in payment vouchers and the absence of Remita statements required to properly reconcile the transactions.
“The Nigerian people cannot continue to watch helplessly as billions of naira meant for poor and vulnerable citizens disappear into unverifiable transactions,” Onwubiko said.
The organisation further claimed that the N33.75 billion was not the only financial discrepancy requiring investigation, citing additional irregularities totalling N36.74 billion.
HURIWA therefore called for a comprehensive audit of the entire NCTP rather than restricting the investigation to the amount specifically flagged by the Auditor-General.
The group also challenged President Tinubu to demonstrate his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability by taking decisive action on the findings.
