The APC chairman explained why Nigerians may not have heard about aid recipients receiving cash assistance from the government

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has gently responded to questions from many Nigerians who complained that they have never seen or heard of anyone receiving funds under the government’s conditional cash transfer program.

According to Yilwatda, this is possible because more than 10 million vulnerable Nigerians benefiting from the N75,000 conditional cash transfer program do not have access to mobile phones or social media.

Yilwatda disclosed this on Saturday while speaking with journalists after the three-day retreat of the APC National Executive Council in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The beneficiaries, whom he described as poor and vulnerable Nigerians, are largely unable to participate in public discussions on government policies because they do not have access to telephones, television and social media.

“We have provided 75,000 naira to over 10 million Nigerians across the country using conditional cash transfers under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

“Remember, these poor and vulnerable people don’t have phones to call; they don’t use social media. They don’t have television. They can’t come and challenge and discuss like we do here, but they are out there,” he said.

Yilwatda also criticized former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, for his position on fuel subsidies.

“We are building roads and paying the people who work on those road sites, and construction is happening all over the country,” he said.

“More than 30 states can’t pay salaries and pensions. Once we remove subsidies, all states can pay salaries and pensions, and no state will be left behind.

“Today, if you return it, you are saying the country should not pay salaries anymore. And what suffering are you bringing to Nigeria?”

The APC chairman also argued that the return of fuel subsidies would affect the government’s student loan scheme and other projects.

“The projects we are undertaking across the country, such as the coastal and gas road projects in the north, which pass through Abuja, which are aimed at alleviating the suffering of Nigerians, will be suspended,” he said.

Yilwatda further accused Atiku of trying to reverse the Tinubu administration’s progress in pursuing the presidency, and said that the APC and the Nigerian people would not accept such actions.

The APC chairman said the NEC retreat also reviewed the party’s activities at the national, state, local government, ward and polling unit levels.