Gov Lawal Advises Against Politicising FG’s Cash Transfer Programme

Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, has demanded transparency and fairness in the implementation of the federal government’s conditional cash transfer programme, warning against politicisation of the scheme.

The governor stated this when he received officials of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) at the Government House, Gusau yesterday.

The NSIPA delegation was in the state to brief the governor on plans to extend the social investment programme to thousands of vulnerable households as part of measures to cushion the effects of economic hardship.

Under the arrangement, each eligible household is expected to receive an ATM card credited with N10,000 to support basic needs.

Governor Lawal said his administration was ready to support the initiative but insisted that disbursement must be based strictly on eligibility and vulnerability, not political affiliation or loyalty.

He warned that when social intervention programmes are hijacked for political interests, the purpose is defeated and genuine beneficiaries are left out while those with connections benefit.

The governor commended the Federal Government for sustaining the conditional cash transfer programme, noting that Zamfara, which has faced years of insecurity and economic challenges, requires such interventions to reach the truly vulnerable.

He assured NSIPA of the full collaboration of the state government, local government authorities, traditional institutions and community leaders to ensure the profiling and disbursement exercise succeeds.

Earlier, the NSIPA officials had presented some of the ATM cards to the governor in a symbolic flag-off of the disbursement process in the state.