Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government of introducing another layer of vote buying through its newly launched $1 billion Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project, HOPE-SP.
Oseni made the allegation while speaking on The Morning Show on Arise Television on Thursday, a day after the Federal Government launched the social protection programme in Abuja.
The HOPE-SP was unveiled at the State House Banquet Hall alongside four other programmes as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen its humanitarian response and poverty-reduction framework.
DAILY POST reports that the government said the initiative is designed to move vulnerable Nigerians from temporary relief to lasting economic empowerment and self-reliance through skills development, soft loans and other forms of support.
Reacting to the programme, Oseni questioned the timing of its launch, coming about six months before the 2027 general elections.
“The government of President Tinubu has brought out another initiative called HOPE-SP, which is like coalescing the efforts of all the initiatives as regards poverty alleviation. It’s doing this six months to elections,” he said.
“What was he thinking of all this while? I suspect just another layer of vote buying, just like we called trader money vote buying.”
The broadcaster also expressed concerns over the sustainability of providing loans and business support in an economy grappling with high inflation.
He questioned the viability of businesses established under the programme, asking: “Start up a business, yes, very good. In what market? Inflation-ridden market? How viable is it going to be?”
Oseni said previous government interventions had similarly provided loans and small businesses to Nigerians but questioned whether such programmes could produce sustainable improvements in the livelihoods of beneficiaries.
He also criticised the proposed consolidation of the country’s social register, alleging that the existing database had been politically influenced.
“For the first time, they said they were going to coalesce the social register and bring together all what they have,” he said.
“At first, I’ve always said that that social register is a scam. It’s tilted more towards people of a certain political party.”
Oseni further questioned how beneficiaries would be identified and verified under the programme, asking whether the government would rely on financial records, visit communities or use other mechanisms to establish genuine need.
He also raised concerns over transparency and accountability in the management of funds under the initiative.
The Arise anchor referenced the corruption allegations surrounding the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, while questioning how the government would ensure that funds meant for vulnerable Nigerians reached genuine beneficiaries.
“Till today, EFCC has not told us what transpired with Beta Edu. What happened in that humanitarian ministry? What’s the institutional accountability?” he asked.
Oseni said the government must clearly establish how the funds would be disbursed, audited and tracked to prevent diversion.
He also warned that direct transfers could be abused if beneficiary accounts were linked to political associates or other cronies.
“Even if you do transfers to people’s accounts, how are we not sure that those accounts are accounts of cronies?” he asked.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
