The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has summoned the Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr Emem Bob, and the Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, in the State, Mr Iniobong Robson, to explain the criteria used in nominating 1,072 beneficiaries for the Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer.
The house issued the summon following a motion brought before it on Thursday by the member representing Eket, Dr Nsidibe Akata.
The duo are expected to appear before a Special Ad-hoc Committee of the House today.
Akata informed the House of petitions he had received across the State despite the Federal Government’s N50 billion disbursement to the 774 local governments in the country as part of its programmes aimed at alleviating the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
He added that stakeholders were to be involved in the selection of beneficiaries in each of the local government areas and under the scheme, beneficiaries are to receive N50,000 grant.
He expressed surprise that such was not the case in Akwa Ibom and wondered how the Ministry of Economic Development arrived at the 1,072 nominee list.
Other lawmakers including the Deputy Speaker, Mr Kufreabasi Edidem, expressed displeasure over the way and manner the financial grant to non-business owners was being handled by the Commissioner.
The Speaker, Mr Udeme Otong, observed with dismay that petitions from over 90 per cent of communities across the 31 local governments in the State had trailed the way and manner the Commissioner was handling the disbursement of the fund.
