COVID-19:Only Nigerians with Below N5,000 in Account will Get Palliatives, Says FG
*As IMF to provide $11 billion to 32
The federal government Wednesday said that only Nigerians who have less than N5,000 in their accounts will be entitled to the palliatives to be given out to the poor as a result of the extended coronavirus lockdown.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Ms. Sadiya Farouq, who disclosed this also said the beneficiaries will be those who recharge their phones with not more than N100.
Farouq said this will be through cash transfers to the benefiaries.
Farouq who spoke to newsmen in Abuja also said the second round of the palliatives in which one million more people will be included according to President Muhammadu Buhari will focus on mainly the poor and people living with disabilities in urban areas.
She was quoted saying, “we are going to focus more now on the urban poor. These are people who depend on the informal sector to earn their livelihood; they are daily wage earners and these are the people that we are really going to focus on more as well as people living with disabilities” .
She also said the government will use bank verification numbers of account holders and the national social register to get to the beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised Nigeria not to spare any resources in the effort to fight the coronavirus.
IMF’s Director, Africa Department, Mr. Abebe Selassie, gave the advice during a press briefing at the ongoing World Bank/IMF Virtual Spring Meetings in Washington, United States.
Selassie who said Nigeria’s economy would be among those to be affected by the COVID-19 urged both federal and state government to consider rolling out measures to fight the spread of the virus.
He said, “In the near term, no resources should be spared to put the health crisis threat that Nigeria faces from the COVID-19 pandemic. So, we see scope for more supportive policies on the fiscal side”.
He disclosed that the IMF would provide the sum of $11 billion to 32 African countries to fight the pandemic.
The fund, he said will support domestic measures being taken in the African countries.
He further disclosed that IMF and World Bank were making a case for debt relief for African countries of low income from bilateral creditors.
About Post Author
