The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the parliament will soon introduce a bill that will define who is a poor Nigerian to benefit from the Federal Government’s Soci
al Intervention Programme.The Speaker noted that the possible effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic on Nigeria’s economy and the health care system made the parliament to introduce the Emergency Economic Stimulus Bill and the controversial Control of Infectious Diseases Bill popularly referred to as the ‘NCDC Bill.’
A statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, quoted him as making this known while speaking at an online interactive session organised by the Emmanuel Chapel on Friday. The leadership of the National Assembly had on April 7, 2020, faulted the SIP and how it was being implemented, noting that the conditions set by officials most times excluded poor Nigerians for which the initiative was intended.
“I want to tell you that the majority of those who are supposed to benefit have no access to power. They have no access to the Internet. They have no bank account, so no BVN. In fact, many of them don’t even have phones and these are the poorest of the poor. Yet, some of the conditions or guidelines which you set inadvertently leave them out. I think we have not been able to reach far out there to get them properly captured.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Yusuf Yusuf, had on May 4, 2020, said the National Assembly would subsequently be involved in the programme, which had gulped over N700bn since inception. Gbajabiamila stated that the country cannot afford not to learn from the pandemic, which was why legislation must be put in place to address similar crises when they occur again.
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