By Temisan Amoye – Lagos
The Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment Programme, Mrs Maryam Uwais, while delivering an address at a training for illicit funds on Monday, said the President Buhari-led administration has released the Abacha loot and other credits and grants by International Development Association towards the Social Investment Programme, designed to address the plight of poor and vulnerable Nigerians
Mrs. Maryam Uwais said from August 2018 to the October payment cycle, the total amount released from the Abacha loot was $76,538,530 and $27,099,028 from the IDA credit. The amounts sum up to $103,637,558 and a whopping N37.3 billion when converted to Naira ( at the rate of N360 to the dollar).
She said the funds were specifically being disbursed to beneficiaries of the Cash Transfer Programme, a component of the National Social Investment Programme. The beneficiaries were gotten from a National Social Register, collated by the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office.
Mrs. Uwais also said the decision to disburse the funds directly to the poor and vulnerable was reached by the Swiss Government, World Bank, and the Nigerian Federal Government, to avoid being re-looted into private pockets.
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Nigerians on social media have been reacting to the news, reactions range from outright comical to thought-provoking, below are some of the reactions.
by converting the $103.64m Abacha loot to naira
it is N37,080,000,000 (N37billion)
this money will build 100 hospitals in Nigeria and 40 secondary schools AND change GO STILL DEY SEF
but no, the money has been relooted by the present people in power.
— Mayowa olagunju ❁ (@iam_doctormayor) October 22, 2019
The $103.64m Abacha loot is approximately N37b and FG claimed it disburses the money to poor #Nigerians.
So All of you received this money, and keep quiet Abi 😂 😂
— Ahmad Yerima (@Yeribaba_II) October 22, 2019
Recovered $31.8 billion Abacha loot was spent on the poor by Nigeria government. I’m a poor man and I didn’t receive a dime. We need a breakdown of how this looted fund was disbursed #Abachaloot
— Superslazh (@SegunOladeji5) October 22, 2019
“FG disburses $103.64m Abacha loot to the poor” Really?
Do poor people now have an association? Who received the money on behalf of this poor people? Who counted this poor people? I am sorry, Buhari is not Okay.— Dàybor (@Daybor) October 22, 2019
Headlines: FG distributes $103.64m Abacha loot to Poor Nigerians
Me: who collected my share?
I never knew we had an associationPls who’s the “National president of Poor Nigerians Association”
Where’s our HQ in?
Where is our meeting venue
I’m confused 😫😨#Nigeria
— Faruk Ahmad (@alpha_keyboard) October 22, 2019
Abacha loot been “re-looted”😀$103.64m
…said it’s been given to the poor. pic.twitter.com/hdFGka2pJB— BanttyBlairq°💎 (@TJYominson) October 22, 2019
Dear @MBuhari,
As you speak well of this man, so shall your followers speak good of you. I told my colleagues yesterday that Abacha never stole. I went further to tell them that the purported recovered ABACHA LOOT, is just an act of kindness from the Spirit of Abacha to us. pic.twitter.com/b7Ng4xt4UD
— Savn Daniel (@savndaniel) October 22, 2019
$103.64m Abacha
Me: I’m poor and i haven’t gotten my share of the loot
FG: poor people don’t have smartphones and internet
Me: pic.twitter.com/RvhrQpoJLt
— Sane Nigerian (@_SaneNigerian) October 22, 2019
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
$103.64m Abacha loot disbursed to Poor Nigerians.
F.G should just give me the ATM of the account they deposited my portion of the money, because the cash is not in my people’s bank account oh 😥
Yes i still use people’s bank, or am i not a poor Nigerian? pic.twitter.com/ZmpRgr0GOW— Oloye Ayo Gbadebo (@holudaray) October 22, 2019
The $103.64m Abacha loot is approximately N37b and FG claimed it disburses the money to poor Nigerians. If they are stupid enough to think Nigerians will believe this nonsense then they don’t rate us at all.
Note: Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world.
— Yasoh (@Yaseerkugu) October 22, 2019
