Lawyer Festus Ogun Writes Humanitarian Minister, Demands Names Of Beneficiaries Of N330billion Cash Transfers Palliative

Human rights lawyer and public interest advocate, Festus Ogun, has filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request demanding full disclosure of beneficiaries of the N330billion the Nigerian government claimed it disbursed to 8.5 million households under the Federal Government’s National Social Safety Net Programme (NSSNP).

In the letter dated September 22, 2025, and addressed to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Ogun demanded transparency in the handling of the massive palliative scheme, which was announced by the Minister Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, on September 17.

Edun had on Wednesday, September 17, said that President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government has disbursed N330 billion cash transfers to poor and vulnerable Nigerians through the National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO).

Edun made the disclosure in Abuja at a meeting of the Special Presidential Panel on Social Investment Programme.

According to the Finance Minister, the claimed intervention was part of President Tinubu’s programmes to help the poorest and the vulnerable through the difficulties caused by the increase in the price level as a result of the necessary reforms put in place.

“We are pleased to report that the social protection programme put in place as a safety net to help people to cope with the rising price level, is now firmly back on track,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Edun as saying.

He further stated, “About 19.7million poor and vulnerable households representing more than 70 million individuals are captured in the National Social Register.

“The cash transfers, funded from the 800 million dollars World Bank facility, were disbursed to 15 million households.

“So far, 8.5 million households have received at least one tranche of N25,000, while some have received two or three payments.

“The remaining seven million households will be paid before the end of the year.”

Edun said the programme is anchored on a robust and sustainable system with beneficiaries verified through their National Identity Numbers (NIN) and payments made digitally via bank accounts or mobile wallets

But Ogun, in his letter, questioned the secrecy surrounding the identities of the 8.5 million households said to have benefitted.

“I am a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, legal practitioner, human rights activist and public interest advocate with a passion for defending human rights, and upholding the tenets of rule of law, constitutional democracy, fiscal transparency and good governance. I write for myself and on behalf of other concerned Nigerians (“we”),” Ogun stated.

The lawyer said, “Nigerians are deeply concerned about fiscal transparency in the alleged disbursement of “at least one tranche of N25,000” to 8.1 million households.

“The details of the 8.1 million households that benefited from the total disbursed sum of N330,000,000,000 are shrouded in secrecy.”

Citing the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, the lawyer requested the ministry to provide the full names, disbursement dates, total amount disbursed, and states of residence of all beneficiaries.

“In view of this, we write pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 to respectfully request for the full names, disbursement dates, total amount disbursed, and states of residence of the “8.1 million households” that allegedly benefited from the N330,000,000,000 palliative,” Ogun demanded.

He further warned that failure to release the requested information within the seven-day statutory period would leave him with no option but to seek legal redress.

“Corruption thrives in darkness,” Ogun declared.

“We are confident that this request will be treated urgently in line with the 7 days rule stipulated under Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

“In the unlikely event that our modest request is not met within the statutory timeframe, we will be compelled to take appropriate legal steps, in furtherance of public interest.”