The Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer Program was flagged off today at Holy Child Primary School, Nung Udoe Itak Ikono LGA in Akwa Ibom State.
On the occasion, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq who flagged off the event stated that 24,929 beneficiaries from 9 Local Government Areas will share the sum of
N993,450,000.00 across the 30% select local government Areas of the State.
The Minister also commended the people of Akwa Ibom especially the women who she said have excelled in virtually all areas of human endeavour against all odds.
”Women from Akwa Ibom have played and continued to play a prominent role in poverty eradication in the state and are pivotal to our poverty elimination programmes.
“Apart from the war against corruption, President Buhari has prioritized social protection interventions to pull 100 million people out of poverty over the course of 10 years. As part of efforts to actualize this dream, the government established the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to consolidate on existing social safety net programs at the Federal level, ensure policy cohesion and effective implementation of social protection programs in the country”.
Umar Farouq explained that other social protection schemes such as the Conditional Cash Transfer, the Youth Employment and Social Support Operations, Community and Social Development Programme were established under the coordination of National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to implement the Federal Government poverty alleviation initiative programs.
“A coordinating body has also been set up with support from the World Bank, alongside a Social Register of poor and vulnerable households (PVHHs) for targeted programmes”.
The Minister said that the beneficiaries will get all that has accrued to them since 2019 when they were formally enrolled.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor of state who represented the Governor thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for extending the program to Akwa Ibom state and called on the minister to also send more palliatives to the state to assist the indigenes during the post COVID-19 period.
The Local Government Areas which benefited from the Conditional Cash Transfer are Easrern Ibolo, Mkpat Enin, Nsit Atari, Nsit Ubium, Onna Ukanafun, Uruan and Orukanam and Ikono.
NNEKA IKEM ANIBEZE
SA MEDIA
29-09-2020
