Conditional Cash Transfer: Affected States, And Criteria Used In Selection Of Beneficiaries Of Cash Transfer Programme

Having served as co-researcher (ad-hoc) in a World Bank project tagged "Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operation (YESSO)" a World Bank Assisted Programme.

I can attend to some little extent, the following enquiries by some Nigerian youths on where and how does the government came about the list of 13,807 households that was announced by Government  to had been benefitting from the ongoing Conditional Cash Transfer exercise.

Below are some enquires posted on social media, and most especially, from one Nigerian socialist, activist, philanthropist and the founder of that popular Foundation in Oyo city, Oyo State, Nigeria, Prince Siyanbola Kunmi (Omo Iya Kunmi Foundation):

"We need to ask the Minister of Youths and Sports some questions; 

- Can we have the names of the local government areas and the beneficiaries? 

- What roles did the caretaker Chairmen of the LGAs play, if they were carried along? 

- What modalities did you employ in 'selecting' the 13, 807 households that benefited? 

- Lastly, where were the funds disbursed?"

The programme in question without iota of lie has been in operation in Nigeria since a very long period of time now but, little are those whom awares of it, untill recently when Nigerian government announced expending billions of Naira to that project. Though, that programme is one of a project in which anybody whom conversant with the going in some affected Local Government Councils could testified, as the beneficiaries of same programme usually makes visits to the Secretariat once in awhile for either verification or sometimes screening.. They once or twice during introductory stage presented gifts to the beneficiaries in the Councils

But, first and foremost, I will like to inform the readers here that this particular project was a assisted programmes initiated by the world bank, a kind of a  later intervention/collaboration/adopted by the government. It was an existing projects that its data has been collated since about five years ago. Which simply mean that neither the present  State Governors and the caretaker/chairmen of any Local Government can have involvement in the data collection of any kind towards the exercise.

While I may not be able to reveal some information due to confidential matters attached to them, and for the fact that, there were some in which I actually  might not know anything about at all. But with this little hints I wanna share here, I'm very much sure we can learn something from this to understand how government got the data of the vulnerables and poor citizens that the cash transfer is meant for.

There was a great awareness during that time when research for identification of poorest community and households were been conducted that year. Though, due to the harsh condition that people were underwent during that time, most of the people visited in many communities were not responding very well, while many shunned officers, some even get the issue to the extent of attacking the researchers. Reasons was that, many of whom attached or shunned believes that the programme might be a newest strategy from deceitful politicians.

If I could not forget the going during that time, I think, the film started sometimes in 2015. There were selected thirty communities in some selected State Local Government Area choosed to test run the project, among which Oyo State was beneficiary. It was a great experience as the selection of beneficiaries during that time as all the exercise was completely done by the members of each affected communities themselves and, it was in the presence of various representatives from both three tiers government (Federal, State and the LG) in which I was personally included, representing the LGA.

I was fully witnessed everything concerning that research processes, and it was the best research anyone can rely on, as the team charged with data collection were given report/lists of names of already identify vulnerable communities within affected Local Government. They now went on to conduct research in relation to available data to identify vulnerable household or poorest individuals in those communities.

When they visit a community, the first assignment of the team was to visited or pay homage to the leaders either King, Chief or Heads of that communities under assigned L.G to inform them of their intended mission. Though, without revealing every purposes of their visitation because, they will still needed to holdback some vital information and the need to later come back for at least three or four timesbmore for further research process.

The second reason the team should not exposed mission was to avoid likely political intervention/hijacked of the exercise in which may result in concellation of such programme from that L.G, State or Nation since politician were known to be main cause of why poverty is yet to be eradicated as planned by the world bank in many nations so assisted, due to the way by which politicians deprived the concerned vulnerable members each time they were given responsibility to distribute the aiding fortunes.

The  world bank has it that, none of their previous programmes has ever yield a fruitful outcome in countries due to politicalitation of those programmes while sharing the relief materials and wrongful expenditures of those materials. The reasons they changed their strategic plans, by concluding in reaching people in their individual abode, and that identification off vulnerable persons among them could be sorted and receives the names resolved among themselves using general opinions.

After that, the second visiting is to meet with representatives of various categories of status and works of life whom belongs, residing or working in that same affected community. In the third visit, the team were to keep the whole communities in congregation, to enlighten them of the purpose of gathering, intention of government, their expected contributions (as in how to identify the vulnerable household, or a particular affected individual among them) and house-numbering.

The government representatives were neither authorized to involved in identification nor have chance to pick a vulnerable for them. No! The only responsible they have was to guide them on the characteristics and criteria to identify a poor or vulnerable people among them. The community people were given ultimate authority to picked whoever among themselves that they fit deem more vulnerable than others and, in accordance with the criteria given by world bank.

SOME BENEFICIARY COMMUNITIES: OYO WEST LGA AS CASE STUDY:

Ajíbádé, Àpáta Olórò, Àpatẹ́ Olóòyà, Balógun, Ẹgbẹ́dá, Ẹlẹ́ga/Kélébe, Gbọ́run, Haruna, Ìdí-Ìyálóde, Igbó Kékeré, Ìlọrin, Ìyá-Ìbejì, Ìyálájé, Jáńná, Làágbé, Ọbanàǹkò, Ògúndá, Olúkọ̀tún, Olúwatẹ̀dó, Ọlọ́ya, Sọ̀kú.

Urban Areas:

Alákítán, Bẹẹsin, Ẹjẹmú, Iréwọlé/Ìrẹ́pọ̀ Ońsà comm, Pàràkòyí, Olúewu, Lábá

Above open for further verification in various  affected Local Government Areas or  State section of Cash Transfer



- Lastbosoft