SOCIAL CASH TRANSFER IS NOT AN ELECTION GIFT, GOVERNMENT MUST NOT POLITICISE STUDENT ALLOWANCES- CSOs

A consortium of civil society organisations (CSOs) has issued a stern warning against the growing trend of politicising critical government social protection programmes and tertiary student allowances. As the nation gears up for the 2026 general elections, advocacy groups have observed an alarming propensity among political actors to frame routine state welfare interventions, such as the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) scheme and student support mechanisms, as discretionary political gifts rather than statutory entitlements. The CSOs emphasized that social safety nets and educational support systems have long been institutional components of national development, designed to cushion vulnerable populations against economic shocks. Transforming these essential public services into campaign leverage or partisan tools undermines the dignity of beneficiaries and subverts the foundational social contract between the state and its citizens. Government-funded welfare is a permanent responsibility of governance, independent of electoral calendars or shifting political administrations. Furthermore, the civil society coalition cautioned voters against falling prey to populist rhetoric that conditions the continuation or expansion of these programs on electoral outcomes. Historical precedents across various administrations show that social welfare initiatives have frequently been weaponized in political discourse, with citizens warned that opposing factions would dismantle safety nets. CSOs have urged the electorate to critically evaluate candidates based on comprehensive policy frameworks, economic competence, and long-term vision rather than short-term incentives or handshakes disguised as benevolence. In addition to safeguarding social cash transfers, the coalition highlighted the plight of tertiary education financing, noting that student allowances must be administered transparently and predictably. Portraying educational grants or loans as personal favors bestowed by leader