The Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq, has handed over engagement letters and tablets to trained independent monitors of the National Social Investment Programme in Taraba and Kogi States.
Represented by Special Adviser on Disaster Management, Group Captain Shehu Sadiq, in Taraba State and the Deputy Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Safiya Sani, in Kogi State, the Minister said that the Ministry “flagged off the training of 5000 independent monitors for the National Social Investment Programme in Abuja on Thursday 4th February, 2021.The training was carried out across the country, from February 2021 to April 2021”.
She said the trained Independent Monitors are now given engagement letters and electronic devices to monitor a designated number of beneficiaries of the National Social Investment Programme in their localities.
They will be paid a monthly stipend of N30,000, and they must meet up to 80% of their deliverables monthly to be eligible for their stipend.
The Independent Monitors Engagement letters clearly articulate the scope of work.
Farouq stated that the devices are equipped with an application that will be used to report on monitoring activities of the trained independent monitors. All devices distributed for the monitoring of this programme are locally made in Nigeria and the monitoring application designed by an indigenous company.
The Minister charged the independent monitors not to reassign their responsibilities to a third party and to carry out the the assignment with utmost sense of patriotism, adding that every independent monitor will be held accountable by the Ministry for the task given them.
The Representative of the Taraba State Governor, the Taraba State Focal Person of NSIP, Beatrice Kichena, commended the Honourable Minister’s effort in ensuring the success of the NSIP Programmes.
“It is a commendable and laudable effort put by the Honourable Minister despite all challenges faced by the country. I believe that the Programme will be successful and beneficial to Nigerians even at the grass root.
She thanked the Federal Government on behalf of the State Government and urge the Independent Monitors to conduct their assignments successfully.
Also, the Kogi State Focal Person of NSIP, Abdulkareem Suleiman Onyekehi, on behalf of the State Government, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for initiating the NSIP Programmes to address poverty in the country.
He said the State has been fully involved in the programmes and is committed to the full implementation of the NSIP Programmes in Kogi State.
Grace Osuji
For: Deputy Director Information
30th June, 2021
