By Philemon amos
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, labels President Bola Tinubu’s proposed cash transfer policy as a scam. In an interview with AriseTV on July 21, the governor expressed his strong opposition to the idea, stating that the recipients of the cash transfers cannot be easily identified.
Citing his extensive experience in overseeing the Central Bank and various commercial sectors of the economy, Governor Sani pointed out that around 70 to 75 percent of the rural population in the north-west region are entirely excluded from the financial system. These individuals lack even basic bank accounts, raising concerns about the feasibility of implementing cash transfers to such individuals.
Governor Uba Sani emphasized the importance of financial inclusion for the vulnerable population, urging development partners like the World Bank to invest more in bringing these individuals into the financial services sector. He called on the federal government to allocate more funds to ensure that bank accounts are opened for the vulnerable, as without their inclusion, any cash transfer efforts would risk reaching the wrong recipients.
In a separate report, Politics Nigeria stated that President Tinubu’s administration unveiled a plan to provide a monthly N8,000 transfer to 12 million of the country’s poorest households for a period of six months. This initiative aims to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal. The announcement has sparked various reactions from Nigerians, with opinions being divided on the matter.