Confusion in Ibadan as traditional leaders, residents protest, deny receiving FG’s cash palliatives

Controversy has continued to trail the Federal Government’s touted unconditional cash transfer stimulus to poor Nigerians to alleviate their suffering occasioned by the COVID-19 lockdown.

In Ibadan, Oyo State capital, traditional leaders and residents of Ona-Ara Local Government Area on Wednesday staged a protest to show their displeasure over the programme, saying none of them had benefitted.
The leader of the Federal Government delegation to Oyo Atate, Mr. Oyekola Oladipo, had reportedly claimed on a popular radio station in Ibadan, that all the traditional leaders were aware of the process of the selected beneficiaries of the palliative measure.

However, the protesters demanded the names of the beneficiaries of the money transfer in the community.

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The Oniladuntan of Laduntan land, Oba Adebowale Adeyemi (JP) in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state and Baale of Akanran in the same council, Baale Toheeb Alawaye refuted the claim that their subjects benefited from the acclaimed FG’s palliatives.

Oba Adeyemi said: “We don’t know anything about it and we are yet to see anyone in our council to confirm to us that they benefited from the money. The man said on the radio that we were all carried along before disbursement of the cash, but I want to tell the entire world that we are not aware and none of our people has received any money.
“If Federal Government really means to support the poor, community leaders shouldn’t be exempted. We know those who are extremely poor in our locality and with their monitoring team, we know how to distribute it. But as they have done it now, they can only tell us those who get it.” 
Also, Baale Toheeb Alawaye expressed the people’s displeasure with the radio broadcast that they were given money whereas it was not true. 

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“We don’t know people who received the money in Ona-Ara Local Government. When we heard that Baales are the ones giving them the names of the indigent people in our local government, we were surprised because it was a lie. They didn’t give any of our people in this council.
“Our people trooped out to check those who received the money at the Ona-Ara Local Government guest house when they heard the news, but we could not see anyone at the guest house and that was why they embarked on the protest. We are surprised to hear that money was disbursed,” the Baale said.