‘N5,000 for jobless Nigerians’ not included in Jonathan’s 2015 budget, says APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has so far been unable to fulfill its campaign promise of paying N5, 000 monthly to 25 million most vulnerable Nigerians because the plan was not included in the 2015 budget prepared by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

On Thursday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had urged Nigerians not to expect the APC-led government to fulfill its promises, saying that the ruling party lied itself into power.

But in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Lai Mohammed, its spokesman, APC said that even though the PDP-led federal government plundered the common wealth in its time, APC had devised creative means not only to pay the money but also to fulfill its other campaign promises to Nigerians.

“The non-implementation of the payment policy so far is due to the fact that it was not included in the 2015 budget, which was prepared by the PDP-led Jonathan administration, and also because of the need to first block all financial leakages,” it said.

“Now, the Buhari administration has been busy putting into place measures that will make it possible to start the implementation of this project. Such measures include the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

“We are happy to inform Nigerians that as at the end of September 2015, over N1.4tr – which hitherto was lying unproductively in various commercial banks – has been recovered and paid into the TSA.”

APC flayed the PDP, saying that in “its usual jumpy and superficial approach to issues, the irresponsible opposition has already rushed to judgement on the issue without bothering to hear from the APC, which made the promise in the first instance”.

“Had the PDP not sacrificed the truth on the altar of political expediency, it would have realised that the APC never at any time indicated it has reneged on its promise to pay 5,000 naira monthly to 25 million most vulnerable Nigerians.

“In our press statement of Aug. 30th 2015, we still reiterated our plan to redeem our campaign promises, including the social security payment policy, despite the primitive looting of the treasury under the watch of the PDP.

“It is therefore astonishing that the same PDP, which is becoming more and more infamous for its penchant for peddling half truths and sensationalizing every issue, will rush to the press to celebrate the figment of its imagination that the APC will not fulfil its campaign promise regarding the payment.”

The party added that the Buhari administration was embarking on a massive infrastructure renewal programme in the areas of roads, rail and power, for which a 2.5-billion-dollar infrastructure fund was being put in place.

“Contrary to the disinformation being peddled by the PDP, the Buhari administration is poised to lift millions of Nigerians out of extreme poverty by providing social protection and safety nets with another 2.5 trillion naira special intervention fund,” it added.