FG Abort Cash Transfer Contracts In Abia, 3 Other States

The federal government says it has terminated two contracts for cash transfers to Nigerians in four states.

The project was called off after a breach of the agreement by the affected contractors, Sadiya Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said in a statement Tuesday.

The “payment service providers” were contracted by the federal government to make payments to vulnerable persons in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia and the Zamfara States.

“The termination is with the procurement process launched using World Bank procurement guidelines to ensure that payments commence in the affected states on or before April 28, 2020,” the statement signed by Salisu Dambatta, the minister’s spokesperson.

The minister said the federal government cannot accept delays in the current payment round of N20,000 to beneficiaries in poor and vulnerable households under any excuses in the four states or any other states of the federation.

“The failure of any payment service providers to meet their contractual agreement is unacceptable.

“The Federal Government through the Ministry cannot allow contractors to derail the immediate Conditional cash transfers to the poor and the vulnerable,” the minister added.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday during his second address to Nigerians had told the ministry to continue the disbursement of cash transfers and food distribution to vulnerable households as efforts to tackle the COVID-19 impact on the economy.

He also ordered that 1 million names be added to the National Social Register which already contained 2.6 million names, to cushion the effect of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.