Stakeholders Urge Nigerian Government To Channel Subsidy Funds To Key Sectors

The Nigerian government has been urged to channel funds removed from fuel subsidy into providing some interventions in Agriculture, minimum wage, healthcare, education, and production processes.

The call was part of recommendations by citizens, Civil Society Organisations (CBOs), PWDs, Unions, Professional groups, and traditional leaders, during a northern regional town hall meeting, held in Kano state.

The Executive Director Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal explained that, as citizens and stakeholders, the fuel subsidy removal has affected people at the grassroots level, hence the need to come together to proffer lasting solutions to it.

Lawal stressed that the engagement would also promote transparency and accountability.

On the social register to be used for the distribution of palliatives, he suggested that “the old register should not be discarded but maintained and cleaned up with additional new names, where necessary.”

The National Coordinator of Nigeria Covid-19, Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus NG-CARES, programme, Dr. Abdulkarim Obajea in a presentation called for a national policy to ensure enforcement and prompt use of Funds when released to enhance the timely release of palliatives to the people.

“The fund should not stay more that 10 working days in the account of the state governments. It should be immediately disbursed to the beneficiaries,” he said.

Lawal called for priority to be given to cash transfers to the less privileged in the immediate term to caution against the effect of the subsidy removal while supporting infrastructure palliative in the medium to long term.

“There is also the need for citizens to effectively monitor the subsidy savings and spending, especially CSOs to promote transparency and accountability at sub-national levels,” he said.

One of the stakeholders Professor Eze Onyekpere on his part advocated the effective use of the Infrastructure Trust Fund and use of food coupons as palliative to caution effects of the subsidy removal.

He said; “The government, by so doing should issue the coupons to the less privileged who will go to food vendors, especially women that cook to redeem it. It will help because it will be devoid of hijack, as the rich will be ashamed to go and queue in public.

“The food should be common foods that are rich in content. In all these SMEs involved in the food value chain will be stimulated.”

“In the same way transport coupons should be introduced, the multiplier effect will stimulate the near comatose transport sector. Similarly, a cost of living allowance should be introduced for civil servants as their purchasing powers have been eroded, dito subsidies in schools and the health sectors.

“On another level, production rather than consumption palliative should be encouraged on a higher percentage. Government should subsidize farm inputs like fertilizer, seedlings, pesticides, herbicides, and machineries in the agricultural sector to reduce unemployment and promote food security,” he told.

Uket Eko Obonga of the Network for Electricity Consumers Advocacy of Nigeria kicked against the increment in electricity tariff m, stating that such decision, as being proposed could push the economy into recession.

He said; “I urge the government to use part of the fund being saved to subsidize energy as well as mass metering for the less privileged.”

Speaking during a panel discussion, the Falakin Bichi, Alhaji Abba Wada Waziri, emphasised the need for more efforts by CIBa, to ensure that palliatives are distributed at the grassroots level.

Others who spoke during the town hall meeting are Hajiya Mairo Bello from AHIP, Safiyanu Bichi from the Kano budget working group, Fatima Musa Aliyu Bridge connect Africa and a representative from NYFF Gambo Yakubu.

The Townhall meeting which has the theme: “How citizens can best benefit from government policies, fuel subsidy, electricity social interventions” was organised by Partnership for Amplified Voice (PAV), with support from the World bank.

The event brought together civil society organizations, media practitioners, traditional institutions, vulnerable groups, women groups, persons with disabilities, youth groups, trade unions, private sector, and civil society across 19 Northern States, to have diverse voices and robust conversations for the development of an action plan.

Mercy Chukwudiebere