COVID-19 PALLIATIVES.

As a follow-up to President Muhammadu Buhari\’s address on Monday 13th of April 2020. The minister of Humanitarian affairs, Hajia Sadiya Farouq step up her sharing plans of Covid-19 palliatives. 

The minister of Humanitarian affairs said in her briefing to the state house reports in line with Mr President directives of an increase in number of beneficiaries from 2.6 million household to 3.6 million household. This is to cushion the effect of another lockdown (Stay at Home) for the next round of 14 days.

Beware of the fact that in president Mohammadu Buhari\’s address on Monday, he said        \”I have also directed that the current social register be expanded from 2.6 million household to 3.6 million household in the next two weeks. This means we will support an additional one million homes with our social investment programmes. A technical committee is working on this and will submit a report to me by the end of the week\”.

In other to actualize the president\’s need for more beneficiaries of extended number of families to partake in the palliatives; the Honourable minister of Humanitarian affairs, Disaster management and Social development. Sadiya Umar Farouq marshalled out her distribution plans. Considering the poor and the vulnerable of the society mainly the urban poor.

In selecting the beneficiaries, She itemized the following categories of people.

• To select beneficiaries by account balance mobile network.
• Account holders with balance of N5,000 and below
• People who top-up phone with N100 and below.

Suggestions of the above point shows unpreparedness to the fact that those who are really meant to benefit from the president\’s magnanimity surely gets what\’s due for them . First of all; To think of using individual account number should have been the most  appropriate but the bankers are supposed to have been consulted for proper banking regulations. To base it on account balance of N5,000 or below is a rule of the thumb which has no statistical proof because the past lockdown exercise would have forced must people to do a panic withdrawal due to fear of uncertainty.

Secondarly; the use of airtime top up of N100 has no bases at all considering the fact that some people are misers in all they do not willing to recharge with reasonable amount of airtime nomatter how much they are worth  These ones are called professional \’FLASHERS\’. 

The Honorable minister has to be proactive in determining who actually benefits from these palliative measures for proper accountability to avoid putting a round peg in a square hole.

Please practice physical social distancing, wash your hand with soap under a running tap water, Stay safe use alcoholic base hand sanitizer and Stay at Home and do not forget to pray to God for His Healing power for the entire world 🙏. Remain Blessed. Cheers!!. ✍️ Blessingonugha ❤️.