Don’t allow politicians hijack your social protection policy – CORN warns Tinubu

The Director of Conflict Research Network, West Africa (CORN), Dr Tarila Marclint Ebiede, has asked President Bola Tinubu not to allow politicians hijack his social protection policy.

Ebiede warned the President not to allow politicians to dominate the distribution of the palliatives.

He said the operation of social protection policy in the country is at risk of political hijack and could deny vulnerable persons the benefit of social protection interventions.

Ebiede made the call at a conference organized by CORN themed: “Social protection and economic uncertainties in fragile and conflict-affected societies” held in Abuja on Sunday.

He called for more research on social protection in Nigeria, saying this would help to ensure transparency and impactfulness in the use of social protection funds.

“An efficient social protection system should be transparent with the social register. It is also important for the government to know that social protection alone does not address poverty. The government must implement economic programs that will address poverty in a sustainable way. The government should intensify efforts to improve the economic conditions of the people rather than concentrating on social protection”.

The Research and Policy Uptake Lead, Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), Nairobi, Kenya, Professor Remi Aiyede in his presentation noted that palliatives must not be distributed as patronage to party members saying that they should be properly targeted to the poorest of the poor.

Aiyede in his keynote address entitled “Social Protection in Times of Crisis,” said it is insensitive and provocative for government officials to be involved in conspicuous spending that reinforces self-aggrandisement in the face of belt-tightening and hunger by the majority of citizens.

“It must be emphasised that the recent focus of social protection on cash transfers is inadequate to achieve the required transformation of social conditions that the developmental state is expected to bring about. Cash transfers and other social assistance programs focus on chronic poverty and often neglect the issues of inequality. The goal of social protection under the developmental state is to achieve shared prosperity by building an inclusive society. Social protection should encompass pillars of social services, social assistance, social insurance; and social promotion”.