The Senate  on Monday faulted the World Bank recommended  register for beneficiaries of Social Investment Programme ( SIP) of the federal government.
The red chamber said community and elected  leaders are in the best position to identify those most eligible for the poverty fighting intervention packages and not World Bank,  as submitted by officials implementing the programme. 

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Yusuf Abubakar  Yusuf ( APC Taraba Central), stated this in an interview in Abuja.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the operational procedure adopted by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs particularly handling of the programme.
Yusuf also said his Committee,  was investigating the controversy over the distribution of rice to vulnerable Nigerians and why some states rejected them.

According to him, apart from the probe of the various arrangements under the SIP, the National Assembly would come up with a bill aimed at producing an acceptable, fair and transparent register for the programme.
He said, “It is an issue that is on top burner of the National Assembly. We are considering how to improve on what we have on ground with a legal framework.

“The proposed bill will produce a fair, constructive, clear, transparently accountable register of beneficiaries. The bill will definitely improve the SIP.
 “The SIP has what they call  a national social register. We are trying to scrutinise that register to find out really, who are the beneficiaries and how they came about the list.
“The register was as a result of world bank indicating that they can use citizens of the various communities. I have done my own investigation too and I’m still doing it. 

“The World Bank is coming to determine who in the community is vulnerable and I , as a senator is from my own community, I don’t know who is that.
“I think there are certain issues we have to look at seriously. We need to do a lot of discussion among ourselves with the executive side so we can know really who are those vulnerable people and how is the system being implemented.”
On details of the N500bn request from the executive arm of government, Yusuf said, “We are waiting for it to be brought to the National Assembly.”
“All what we did was to approve the N850bn borrowing from domestic markets. the restructuring of the budget is certainly coming to the national assembly. 

“We are working on it, as soon as the executive brings it, which will include the N500bn, and how to appropriate and spend it, we will move from there.
“For me, I’m not satisfied, certainly not but at this point in time there is nothing much we can do other than to engage the agencies of government handling it to look at it in a dispassionate way, in a fair and more objective way to determine these people who are vulnerable.

“Look at the economics of it, we are told that in the last three years or so. A total sum of about  N600 – N800 billion was released while national assembly appropriated N2 trillion because there  is no resources and the release, how has it boosted the economy of this country. The economy of our local community as well “
On the issue of rice rejected by some states, the Senator said the issue is between the Customs and the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control.

His words: “I have discussed with the Minister and asked what happened before the release of the rice and she insisted that the Ministry have its own certificate telling them that the rice is in good condition.” 

“Now, the matter is between Customs and NAFDAC to tell Nigerians what actually happened. 

“The minister of Humanitarian Affairs as I have found out, has a certificate from NAFDAC telling them that the rice was good for distribution.

“On reconvening of plenary, I will further engage my colleagues who are supervising. NAFDAC and Customs to find out what their committees, have discovered in the case of Oyo State,” he added.