The National Economic Council (NEC) has directed that states should develop a comprehensive social register for vulnerable people, the target beneficiaries of the government’s cash transfer programme.

Governor Charles Soludo disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the NEC meeting, chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Mr Soludo said NEC resolved that the states should develop their own registers, using formal and informal means. He said that all beneficiaries at the subnational level could easily be identified that way.

“We need to face the problem of the fact that we don’t have a credible register,” stated the Anambra governor.

Mr Soludo affirmed that NEC also discussed ways to cushion the impact of the recent petroleum subsidy removal.

“The first question that was raised was in relation to cost of governance. I think it’s an omnibus concept, and it’s not something you sit down in a meeting to legislate for each and every state,” the governor explained. “But the fact is that the council recognizes that this is an issue that each tier of government should now focus on as an area of concern.” 

Mr Soludo added, “Take the cost of running the state, the way we even live, so, some gave an example of a state governor going with about 20 vehicles in a convoy, and all these have to be fuelled.”

(NAN)