We can’t publish beneficiaries of COVID-19 palliatives, says minister

Sadiya Umar Farouq, the minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, says it is against the norms to publish the names of individuals that benefit from government interventions.

Speaking on Wednesday during the presidential task force briefing on COVID-19, the minister said it is against “human dignity” to support someone and then make it public.

She revealed that the government has the record of the beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme and COVID-19 palliatives in states, local governments and communities.

“We were given 70,000 metric tonnes of grains. As of today, we were able to deploy 9,320 metric tonnes of grains to these three affected areas. That is about 334 trucks, while Kano is ongoing. Fifty trucks are almost arriving Kano,” she said.

There has been criticism over the sharing of the palliatives across the country.

HEDA, a civil society group, has accused government “at all levels” of failing Nigerians.