The Presidency has disowned an online report suggesting that the federal government is planning to pay N30,000 to each Nigerian with a Bank Verification Number (BVN).
The report was attributed to Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, who swiftly debunked the information as “fake news”.
Adesina, in a tweet on his Twitter handle @FemAdesina, 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.”
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.
— Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) March 28, 2020
The report, which claimed that the federal government had set billions of naira aside to be distributed to about 40 million Nigerians at N30,000 per person, added that it was an initiative to help less-privileged citizens because of the negative impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.