(SINL NIGERIA) Senator Ned Nwoko has said social security should be recognized not as an act of benevolence, but as a fundamental right of Nigerians.
According to the lawmaker, it is time to rethink strategy and implement a transformative change that will pave the way for a more equitable and sustainable future for all Nigerians.
Senator Nwoko made this known on Wednesday while introducing a bill to create the National Social Security Agency in Nigeria.
He said the bill which seeks to replace the ministry of humanitarian affairs with the national social security agency titled: ‘A bill for an act to establish the National Social Security Agency, repealing the ministry of humanitarian affairs, and providing for the structure, functions and funding of the national social security system to guarantee basic livelihood, dignity and support for the vulnerable population in Nigeria will be presented at the Senate on Thursday.
Giving an insight, he said the bill when pass we make it mandatory for government to pay certain amount of money to the citizenry. “The payment will be of right”.
He however emphasised that for the proposed agency to function, there must be a database of Nigerians, saying it will be a database that will help us to plan.
Justifying the bill, Senator Nwoko observed that the fight against poverty has been a central focus of development planning in Nigeria since independence. “Various governments have introduced numerous poverty alleviation programs over the years. Yet, the grim reality is that these interventions have largely failed to deliver meaningful and lasting results”.
He continued “The National Identification Number (NIN) will play a vital role in this process by serving as a unique identifier for every citizen. It will help ensure that benefits are correctly assigned to eligible individuals, track the employment and economic status of citizens over time, and reduce instances of duplicate or fraudulent claims, as each person’s records would be tied to their unique NIN.
“The success of the National Social Security Agency will hinge on the accuracy and reliability of the data it collects, as demonstrated by the success stories of other countries with similar systems” he added.
