Emerging report reaching Page 36 on Saturday morning, indicates that former Vice President and 2019 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has failed donate his N50 million stimulus package pledge, which he earlier committed to send to Nigerians, to cushion the effects of the coronavirus lockdown.
However, over a month now, there is no evidence to our knowledge that Atiku Abubakar ever transferred the funds to the President Muhammadu Buhari Federal Government, or directly to needy Nigerians, as he had suggested in a statement to President Buhari at the time.
Read the earlier statement from Atiku below:
“As the coronavirus pandemic ravages the world, I applaud the various Nigerian State Governments who have proactively taken measures, such as issuing stay at home orders, and shutting down non-essential markets and other places of mass gatherings, while also giving guidelines for social distancing.
“However, we must accept the fact that much of the Nigerian public have a subsistence existence. A large percentage of our people do not have the financial capacity to withstand long periods of self-isolation and even lockdown. It is therefore, incumbent on the Federal and State Governments, to provide palliatives to the Nigerian people, to enable them to survive, even as they abide by these necessary measures put in place for their safety.
“At an approximate 30 million households or thereabouts, the government should devise modalities to distribute N10,000, as a supplement for foodstuff to each household, among other palliative measures, with no one left behind.
“It is thus time for the National Assembly to reconvene in an emergency session, perhaps by teleconference (in line with the demands of social distancing), to legislate a Stimulus Package Act, that will cater for all Nigerian citizens.
“I also call on all Mobile Telephone Companies in Nigeria, to urgently develop mobile money platforms, so that the government can reach the unbanked with financial assistance. I also urge these telecommunications firms to offer each of the 100 million mobile phone lines in Nigeria free credit of at least N1,500 per mobile line, so that Nigerians who show symptoms, or those who just want information, can call the nearest available health facility, or even an ambulance service, as the case may be.
“I commend all individuals and corporate organisations who have one way or the other provided some form of relief for the Nigerian people. In essence, this is what makes Nigeria great; when we help each other at such crisis times as this, irrespective of any differences. I further call on more corporations and individuals with capacity, to assist the public in these trying times.
“To this end I pledge N50 million, as my humble contribution to a Relief Fund, that will form part of the stimulus package”, the statement concluded.