1m Poor Nigerians To Receive N5,000 Monthly - Presidency

1m Poor Nigerians To Receive N5,000 Monthly 

The presidency yesterday unveiled that one million destitution stricken Nigerians will be given N5,000 consistently for sustenance.

It likewise clarified why the eagerly awaited change plan is requiring significant investment to show, generally as it immovably dismisses the implications that destitution and need are results of the change mantra, portraying such claim as restriction feedback that mistaken and lost.

The above positions are contained in an announcement issued by the senior special assistant to the president on media, Garba Shehu.

The presidential representative noticed that the president comprehends the torment and the cries of the citizens of this nation and that he is having restless nights on the most proficient method to improve their lives.

Shehu said, “Contrary to assertions by a faction of the opposition Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), the president’s energy and focus are on changing the life of Nigerians, with a view to making it better than he met it.

“For example, one million poor and vulnerable Nigerians will soon receive monthly payments of N5,000 to allow them live decently,” he said, noting that the programme was designed to recognize the need for ordinary, poor Nigerians to also benefit from the resources of the country.

“President Buhari believes that the resources of our country should be spent also on the vast majority of our people who are poor and vulnerable, and not squandered by government officials or the elite,” he stated.

He said; “About seven to eight states have been completed already. Now the Presidency is working with the World Bank and the Bill Gates Foundation on how to identify the people to be paid the N5,000 and how they will be paid.

“This is the first time that the federal government of this country will be spending this much on social welfare for poor, bearing in mind that the money will go directly to the beneficiaries.”

According to the presidential spokesman, “these are not the kind of loans that require collaterals that the people can’t afford or provide. No. The loans will come through the Bank of Industry, but this has also been included in the budget.

“In addition to all these, 500,000 unemployed graduates will be directly employed as volunteer teachers but paid by the FG to teach in their communities while they search for better jobs in their areas of expertise. 370,000 unemployed youths will also be trained in skills acquisition and paid while doing so.

“These are just some aspects of the change that Nigerians voted for, a change that is happening and which will soon be felt by Nigerians in every nook and cranny of our country. “

“These are just the darkest days before the dawn. The change Nigerians voted has indeed begun,” he said.

He said: “Change is a process. Change does not happen overnight. Change can be inconvenient. Change sometimes comes with pain. Over the past year, the government has been working night and day to deliver on its promise of change to Nigerians, and the painful process is still ongoing,” he said.

“This is work in progress. As life gradually returns to normal in much of the country and the northeast in particular, agriculture will resume and traders from neighbouring African countries will once again feel safe to do business with us – yet another boost for our economy.”

He said, “But it is only when we appreciate where we are coming that we will grasp the full meaning and essence of what the ongoing journey entails.

“It is estimated, for instance, that three northeast states of Nigeria alone have so far lost about three trillion Naira ($9bn) to the Boko Haram insurgency. The previous administration at the centre said federal government’s losses amounted to about $18 billion.

“It would have been a miracle for our country’s economy to not feel the effects of this. And, in addition to the thousands of lives lost to the insurgency, thousands have also lost their means of livelihood. The northeast region of Nigeria is a mostly agrarian society, which means Nigeria has lost billions of naira in agricultural produce.

“Many communities, which have had their yearly planting and harvesting cycle disrupted by Boko Haram attacks or occupation, are yet to return to their farms. In many of these communities, there has not been planting and consequent harvest for between two to five years.

“At the time the Buhari government came to power, about N600 billion was owed to fuel marketers in subsidy payments. Strategic fuel reserves were depleted and local refineries were not functioning.”

He mentioned other ongoing efforts to turn things around for the masses: “The Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries are being brought back to life. In a matter of time, Nigeria will resume refining its own fuel rather than depending on imports. As part of the permanent solution of recurring cycle of petroleum products shortages, government is working on a plan to ensure that some of the newly-licensed independent refineries start coming on stream from 2018.

“Government is also turning its attention to the sabotage of the oil and gas infrastructure that has taken so much away from the generation and distribution of electricity.”