By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja
The Presidency on Saturday debunked the report on social media that N30, 000 has been approved for each Nigerian with a Bank Verification Number, BVN, as a palliative for cushioning the effect of stay at home order to stop the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
There have been online reports that the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina has in a statement said that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the said N30, 000 for Nigerians that linked their bank accounts to BVN.
The purported reports claimed that the federal government had set aside billions of naira to be distributed to about 40 million Nigerians at N30,000 per person and that the modus would be to reach everyone through his BVN.
The said ‘bonanza’, which its author said was an initiative to help less-privileged citizens or face the harshness of the impact of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic.
However, in a tweet on his Tweeter handle @FemAdesina, the Presidential spokesman dissociated himself and the administration from the said claim, describing it as fake news.
He said, “Fake news peddlers have concocted a statement, purportedly issued by me, saying FG will pay N30,000 to each Nigerian with BVN, to help them stock up before an impending national lockdown. Not me. The so-called statement is hereby disclaimed”.
Recall that the federal government had advised Nigerians to observe social distancing as a way of curtailing the spread of COVID-19.
Besides, the government at the federal and states had also ordered a shut down of social and economic activities, but many people believe that this measure would force hardship, especially hunger, on many families as most people were believed not to have prepared enough for the lockdown.
