The governor gave the warning when he received officials of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA, at the Government House in Gusau.
The NSIPA team was in Zamfara to brief the governor on plans to extend the social investment programme to thousands of households across the state as part of efforts to cushion the effect of economic hardship on the poorest of the poor.
Under the arrangement, each eligible household is expected to get an ATM card credited with N10,000 to support their basic needs.
Speaking during the visit, Governor Lawal said his administration is ready to support the initiative and will work with the agency to ensure that the money actually gets to those it is meant for.
He stressed that social intervention programmes should not be turned into political tools, adding that eligibility and vulnerability should be the only criteria for selection, not party affiliation or political loyalty.
According to him, when intervention programmes are hijacked by political interests, the purpose is defeated and the most vulnerable are left out while those with connections benefit.
The governor's remarks came as the delegation presented some of the ATM cards to him in what was described as a symbolic flag-off of the disbursement process in the state.
He commended the Federal Government for sustaining the conditional cash transfer programme and said Zamfara, which has faced years of insecurity and economic challenges, needs such interventions to reach genuine beneficiaries.
The programme is part of the Federal Government's broader social safety net aimed at providing direct financial support to vulnerable households across the country.
Governor Lawal assured the agency of his government's cooperation in terms of data, coordination and monitoring to ensure accountability in the implementation process in Zamfara.
