The Special Adviser (SA) to the President on Social Investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, has said that the Federal Government, through the National Social Investment Office (NSIO), has been using the recovered “Abacha loot” and the International Development Association (IDA)/World Bank credit on programmes and policies that address the plight of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
She spoke on Monday at a two-day experts’ training and advocacy on Tracing and Recovery of Illicit Funds and Assets organised by the Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Mrs Uwais, in a statement by the Communications Manager of NSIO, Justice Tienabeso Bibiye, said the funds were being disbursed to beneficiaries of the National Cash Transfer Programme (a component of the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP).
According to her, the gesture is positively changing the fortunes of many Nigerians who find themselves below the poverty line.
Mrs Uwais said this was based on the data collated in the communities and hosted on the National Social Register (comprising each of the state social registers).
The presidential aide said from the August/September 2018 to the September/October payment cycle, the total cumulative value so far disbursed from the Abacha loot was $76,538,530, and $27,099,028 from the IDA credit.