By Hashim Abdallah
In order to be fair, let me start with the commendation of the govt for some initiatives regarding her programmes meant to lessen the hardship being undergone.
One wonders always when the government claims initiatives like never before in spite of the itching living standards. Yes, its undeniable fact that most of them none of the past governments ever did similarly.
The contenders too are right, if not for they think one government did it or even did it better, for the fact that those benefits do not reach the targeted citizens. The government too is right in its claim as I can emphasise without a stark contradiction, but only if I may borrow an African maxim, Rijiya ta ba da ruwa, guga ya hana, which, beside failure of the government’s dividends to reach citizens, may literally mean, the well approves water, the container refused lifting it out.
Beside that wisdom of the African rhetorics in the said Hausa adage as translated, one may now see my overt meaning or begin to see it at least, especially, if we would reflect the occurrences sequel to the #EndSars rebellion, whence the citizens all over the country plunder their respective sates’ warehouses to reclaim the hidden palliatives meant for them during the Corona Virus scourge to survive the starvation experiences.
When the Humanitarian Minister claimed the distribution to all states, she was called and or renamed a number of names censurably and angrily, like the one Hausa notorious idiophone that sounds to mean the greatest liar, Zubaida just like they later reverted to call her with the one Hausa-borrowed Arabic word/name Saddiqa that means truthful, with the discovery of the hidden palliatives confirming the veracity of her claim. Some of the angry critics mostly on social media apologetically colloquially, we mistook her for Zubaida, but she is Saddiqa. We thought she is the greatest liar, but she is truthful.
I am happy now that we discovered something about it with/out being judgemental on who is right or wrong, but what had transpired is valuable experience which has never been wasted like all other human experiences. Let put the experience in a prudent way to avoid repetition of the bad one, let us nip something bad in the bud as patriots.
There has been an ongoing distribution of one of the palliative programmes meant for the benefit of small and medium business owners as Survival Funds.
It is already all about discrepancies observed on the said programme I pick this pen. I would talk on those issues which if considered and addressed, they would be of good for the nation if we really are all responsible, ideal and sincere. I will like to draw the attention of the stakeholders and the concerned ones.
The MSME Survival Fund programme is to assist the suffered business owners that Covid-19 ordeal almost smothered to death due to the lockdown, like school proprietors, merchants and traders, etc.
Nigerians welcomed more than other programmes. They even considered it the best for being not only interest/profit-oriented but also free money benefit. The programme has already gone far expected to culminate and accomplished this December 2020. Unfortunately, grouse already started due to the fear that the other palliatives’ similar treatment might be repeated.
The MSME Survival Fund is a programme which instructed that all prospective beneficiary business owners must have CAC, Corporate Affairs Commission’s register, evidence of voucher paid to the staff of the business, bank details of the owner and the staff too who must not exceed 10 in number per business name.
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This is according to the guidelines that will qualify a business to benefit from the support. The programme targets 500,000 business owners as beneficiaries across the nation.
The problem began to arise when the programme claimed to have paid more than half of the beneficiaries, with all the unfortunate issues of irregularities here and there.
For example, one beneficiary told me that he does not think they could keep up to their promise because, he or his staff has not been called for an interview while many other business owners already received their first and second payments as the December is fast becoming outgoing, a month they promised to complete all the three to all the beneficiaries.
The irregularities also left many with questions with nowhere to lodge a complaint for none FAQ can cover answering all questions and no website info can give all the info a visitor may find in anticipation of all his quests.
The main problem as according to one Twitter user is their non-replying attitude when contacted via their Twitter handle. The same person insisted that he tried the same inquiry method via email but they are to respond after more than a month
One business owner also complained that he and all of his 5 staff received their first payment but one, and as the one were awaiting her first payment for about 10 days, three more staff received their second payments while he, the defaulted first payment receiver and one more staff not yet receive the second payment.
The same person complained that he is confused that he received 30 thousand naira as the business head instead of 50 as they do pay any head.
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While another business owner said he is confused that she received 30k, her staff received that 50k for the head, another business entrepreneur laments he is giving up because, he is among those who submitted the requirements and were verified as accurate as they were, but yet to receive anything either interview or payment.
“I think I am forgotten, because those who submitted their details long after I submitted received interviews and subsequently their first payment at least”, he said. Really, people complained that nobody knows how does it work at all. It is not first to come first to serve, not state by state or region by region. Neither they do batch by batch payment nor bank by bank payment. It all seems random as opposed to systematic and organized, especially if the allotted time (December) is really needed to meet which seems not possible since only more than half payment only attained so far at the end of the stipulated all payment completion month.
Sequel to this, people are suspicious. “I smell a rat that hidden palliatives treatment may be repeated,” complained one block making place staff lacking confidence in the MSME Survival Fund.
Finally, I will like to urge, the main issue which must be addressed is the lack of information which everybody knows brings about speculation. It is high time they explain the situation to calm people in darkness down. All in the darkness, it is always the fear of the unseen and unknown make people uncomfortable in the nights.
This is a call on the government and or the stakeholders on the scheme to look into this with a view to rectifying the problem.
Nigerians have to be informed and their queries be addressed by explaining and mending the discrepancies, gaps, questions, irregularities, disparities and imbalances observed. An explanation is enough for sure.
Hashim Abdallah Wrote This From Malam Madori In Jigawa State.
