By GABRIEL AGBEJA

Some poor and vulnerable Nigerians have received eight backlogs Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) conducted from April 25 to May 27, in Edo, Ondo, Enugu and Kebbi states.

Rev. David Ugolor, the Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) made this known when he addressed newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

Ugolor said the four states were left out of payment since 2019 owing to technical issues.

He said the beneficiaries in Kebbi, Ondo and Edo states, who were paid backlogs covering eight months from January 2020 to August 2020, received the sum of 40,000 only.

The executive director added that the beneficiaries in Enugu State received sum of N50, 000 covering the backlogs for 10 months from January 2020 to October 2020.

“It is against this background that ANEEJ is holding this press conference to provide an update on a monitoring or spot check on payment to beneficiaries of the national cash transfer programmes conducted in four states.

“Reprieve came the way of beneficiaries of the programme in Edo, Ondo, Enugu and Kebbi states where payments have been stalled, as beneficiaries trooped out to receive their payments in designated centres across the four states.

“The exercise started with screening of the beneficiaries on April 19, at Kokani Ward in Jaga Local Government Area of Kebbi States, while payment to the beneficiaries commenced on Monday afternoon April 25.

“A total of N1, 920, 000, 000 was disbursed to 46,780 beneficiaries across six local governments in the State,” he said.

Ugolor said sum of N120, 544,000 was disbursed to 3, 673 beneficiaries in six local government areas across Ondo the State in April 26 at Oba-Ile Ward in Akure North Local Government Area.

He said pre-disbursement meeting was held on the April 19, in Edo State, while payment to beneficiaries began on Friday April 29, in Benin city.

According to him, a total of N360, 704,000 was disbursed to 8,705 beneficiaries in five local government areas across the state but payment was not done in Etsako Central Local Government Areas across the state.

“On May 4, payment eventually commenced at Owo Development Centre, Nkanu East LGA in Enugu State. A total of N129560, 000 was disbursed to 3,144 beneficiaries in five LGAs across the state.

“The exercise was conducted in the designated centres between May4 to May 27 in Enugu State. However, we are still reviewing data from the field with upstream data as reconciliation process is ongoing.

“We have also been notified of the online payment to beneficiaries which is currently being implemented in all the States for the completion of the disbursement of the return of 322.5 dollars Abacha loot plus the accrued interest,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ANEEJ and the Monitoring of Recovered Assets in Nigeria through Transparency and Accountability (MANTRA) partners were on the field to witness both the screening and the payment sessions accordingly the four States.

NAN further reports that the name of the payment Service Providers (PSP) that issued the payment in the four states was Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST). (NAN)

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