The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has picked holes in the planned payment of N5,000 to poor Nigerians.
He described the move as a monumental scam meant to enrich a few.
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Bishop Kukah, who was a guest on a television programme Monday, noted that the government does not have such money to pay millions of people monthly and was only playing to the gallery to curry favour going into the election year.
“I can bet with you that the government cannot pay such amount monthly.
“Where do we get such amount to pay millions of people monthly? Even if such amount is available, the government will not pay. It is one of the usual promises. This is another scam coming from a government that has perfected the art of deceit.
Recall that Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, budget and national planning, had said that Nigeria will remove subsidies on petroleum products by 2022 and replace them with N5000 monthly transportation grant to the poorest Nigerians.
Speaking at the launch of the World Bank Nigeria Development Update (NDU), the minister said the grant will go to about 30 to 40 million Nigerians who make up the poorest population of the country.
“The subsidies regime in the oil sector remains unsustainable and economically disingenuous, she said.
“Ahead of the target date of mid-2022 for the complete elimination of fuel subsidies, we are working with our partners on measures to cushion potential negative impact of the removal of the subsidies on the most vulnerable at the bottom 40% of the population.
“One of such measures would be to institute a monthly transport subsidy in the form of cash transfer of N5,000 to between 30 – 40 million deserving Nigerians” she said.
