Nigeria, April 9 -- Nigerian lawmakers repeatedly tried to manipulate the list of beneficiaries of the government's social investment programmes (NSIP), a presidential aide has said.

The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investments, Maryam Uwais, accused members of the Senate and the House of Representatives of repeatedly attempting to insert names of would be beneficiaries. She said her office resisted the attempts, which may have influenced the recent criticism of the programme by the lawmakers.

Mrs Uwais, who said this in a statement on Wednesday, was responding to the leadership of the National Assembly which faulted the implementation of the Buhari administration's programmes.

The NSIPs include the school fe...