Prominent Nigerian lawyer, Festus Oguns, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to publish the complete list of households that allegedly benefited from the ₦330 billion Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme.
The demand follows the announcement by Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, on September 16 that 8.1 million households had received payments under the National Social Safety Net Programme (NSSNP). According to Edun, the initiative, administered by the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) with World Bank support, was designed to cushion the economic impact of government reforms by providing at least ₦25,000 per household.
In a Freedom of Information (FOI) request addressed to NASSCO’s National Coordinator, Oguns insisted that the government must reveal the names of all beneficiaries, the exact amounts disbursed, the dates of payment, and the states where recipients reside. He argued that without transparency, the programme risks losing credibility among Nigerians.
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“The lack of accountability around this ₦330 billion transfer has created serious doubts. If our reasonable request is not met within the stipulated timeframe, we will be compelled to initiate legal action in the public interest,” Oguns stated.
His demand has fueled growing debate over the Federal Government’s handling of social intervention funds, with critics questioning whether the promised millions of households actually received the payments.
The ultimatum expires next week, leaving the administration under pressure to either provide detailed records of disbursement or face a potential legal showdown.
