* Alleges most vulnerable people haven鈥檛 benefited from palliatives, donations, cash transfers

* Requests electronic cash transfers to beneficiaries via individuals鈥� BVNs

* Gives 7-day ultimatum for official response, threatens legal actions under FoI Act
Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻
For the purpose of fiscal responsibility in public expenditures, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to 鈥減rovide spending details of public funds and private sector donations to provide socio-economic benefits to the country鈥檚 poorest and most vulnerable people.

SERAP further requests 鈥渄etails of beneficiaries of any cash payments, cash transfers, food distribution, and other benefits during the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states because of COVID-19.鈥�

The Federal Government and CBN have been asked to 鈥渄isclose information on the details of the implementation of the school feeding programme during the lockdown and closure of schools in several states where the programme is being implemented.

These include 鈥渢he number of children that have so far benefited from the programme and the names of the communities, since the lockdown and closure of schools, as well as the number of cooks, engaged.鈥�

SERAP, in its two Freedom of Information (FoI) requests dated April 4, 2020, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP Deputy Director, directed to Ms. Sadia Umar-Farouk, Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, and Mr. Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor, said: 鈥淲e are seriously concerned that millions of the country鈥檚 poorest and most vulnerable people have not benefited from the announced palliatives, donations, reported cash payments, cash transfers and other benefits.鈥�

It further states that 鈥減roviding socio-economic benefits to the country鈥檚 poorest especially at this time of COVID-19 crisis is a matter of human rights, not charity.

鈥淚t is also implicit in Nigerians鈥� right to freely use their natural wealth and resources, which ought to be spent for the public good.

鈥淓nsuring that relief funds and donations are used to provide much-needed benefits to beneficiaries is critical to keeping people alive, and addressing vulnerabilities and inequalities in the country.鈥�

The organisation said: 鈥淧roviding the information would help to address the concerns by many Nigerians regarding allegations of corruption and politicisation in the distribution of benefits, improve public trust, and enhance the integrity of the entire processes and modes of distribution of reliefs/benefits to these Nigerians.鈥�

The FoI requests in part: 鈥淩ather than making physical cash payments to the country鈥檚 poorest and most vulnerable people, we urge you to begin electronic cash transfers to all beneficiaries through individuals鈥� Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), already available through the banks.

鈥淭his would be cost-effective at this time of crisis, provide immediate and significant benefits, as well as give individuals and families the freedom to spend the money on goods and services that best meet their particular needs.

鈥淚f we have not heard from you within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of the FoI requests, the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act to compel you to comply with our requests.鈥�

SERAP noted that 鈥淣igerian authorities are locking down states without adequately making provisions for the access of the country鈥檚 poorest and most vulnerable people to basic necessities of life like food, healthcare, and other basic needs during the duration of the lockdown, and to address the corrosive impacts of COVID-19 on these Nigerians.鈥�

鈥淩ather than sending relief materials to the country鈥檚 poorest and most vulnerable people, which may be diverted and in any case, may not be what certain individuals and families may need.

鈥淲e urge you to focus more on urgently making electronic cash transfers to these Nigerians to determine by themselves how they wish to spend the money to meet their peculiar individuals鈥� and families鈥� needs.鈥�

鈥淲e urge you to refer to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prompt, thorough and transparent investigations of allegations of corruption in the distribution of relief funds and donations for COVID-19 and the politicisation of the process for the distribution funds, as well as to urge the anti-corruption bodies to effectively prosecute any credible cases of corruption.鈥�

鈥淲e are concerned that some 80 million of the country鈥檚 poorest and most vulnerable people would be negatively affected by the lockdown and stay-at-home order without effective, transparent and direct socio-economic intervention funds, food, standard health care services, clean water, and other reliefs by the authorities.鈥�

鈥淲e request you to provide us with copies of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) and the social national registers and the lists of beneficiaries under these registers that have so far benefited from any palliatives, donations, cash payments/transfers and other benefits during the lockdown.鈥�