The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of turning its social intervention programmes into an “organised racket” allegedly designed to benefit government officials rather than vulnerable Nigerians.
The party made the allegation in a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, following a report by the Auditor-General of the Federation which revealed that N33.75 billion in cash transfers to 3.29 million households could not be verified.
The ADC said the Auditor-General’s findings raised serious concerns about the management and accountability of funds earmarked to support poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
“Let us call this what it is. Not mismanagement. Not an oversight. It is an organised racket,” Abdullahi said.
The party alleged that the latest revelation was part of a recurring pattern of financial irregularities surrounding the Federal Government’s social investment programmes.
It cited previous controversies involving the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, and the former National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) chief executive, Halima Shehu.
According to the ADC, N585 million was reportedly transferred to a private account linked to Edu shortly after the Tinubu administration assumed office, while another N44 billion was allegedly unaccounted for under Shehu.
The party also questioned the rationale behind the government’s proposed $1 billion Renewed Hope Social Protection Programme, arguing that the administration had not demonstrated that adequate safeguards had been introduced to prevent a repeat of alleged abuses in previous interventions.
Abdullahi said the history of the programmes had made it difficult to trust the government with another large-scale social intervention.
“Given the familiar history, we are in no doubt that even in the unlikely event that this latest intervention is ever implemented, it would end up like the others before it: another racket,” he said.
The ADC further linked the increasing reliance on government cash transfers to the economic hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidy and the devaluation of the naira.
It accused the administration of worsening the economic situation through its policies while failing to effectively manage programmes intended to cushion the impact on citizens.
“This is a government that manufactured hardship with one hand and pocketed the relief with the other,” the party said.
The opposition party called for a comprehensive investigation into the social intervention scheme and demanded the immediate publication of the complete beneficiary register, REMITA payment records and the names of officials allegedly responsible for obstructing the Auditor-General’s investigation.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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