Akwa Ibom Gets Over N993M Conditional Cash Transfer For 24,929 Poor Households
A total number of 24,929 vulnerable households in nine local government areas of Akwa Ibom State have now benefitted from the Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer programme.
To this end, a total of N993million have been disbursed to the beneficiaries by the Federal Government.
Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, disclosed in Akwa Ibom while on a visit for the disbursement/flag-off of the scheme at the Holy Child Primary School, Nung Udoe Ntak, Ikono Local Government Area.
Farouq said the select local government areas represented 30 per cent of the council areas in the state, adding that each of the beneficiaries would receive between N30,000 and N40,000.
She named the benefiting council areas in the state to include: Eastern Obolo, Ikono, Mkpat Enin, Nsit Atai, Nsit Ubium, Onna, Oruk Anam, Ukanafun and Uruan.
She said the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, a component of the social protection schemes of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, was aimed at taking 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
”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.
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The minister apologized for the delay in the disbursement of monies to beneficiaries, adding that ”the payment cycle could not have started in September in 2019, but issues faced with the payment service provider that delayed the payment has now been resolved.”
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Christiana Umoh, expressed gratitude to the FG, saying” the money would help me feed myself and start a business to support my family”.
The state commissioner for women affairs and social welfare, Dr Ini Adiakpan, appreciated the Federal Government’s gesture and urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the money.
The commissioner said, ”the benefits of implementing the Conditional Cash Transfer intervention in Nigeria has been enormous, especially in health, nutrition and education. These are very critical areas for which every responsible government must concern itself.
”Akwa Ibom State keyed into the programme in the middle of 2019 with nine pilot local government areas. The State Operating Coordinating Unit (SUCO) enumerated about 126,000 households with almost 80,000 making the beneficiaries list and we are grateful that today about 24,929 is the first set of beneficiaries”.
Governor Udom Emmanuel represented by his deputy, Mr Moses Ekpo, had earlier received the minister at the State Government House, Uyo, during which he thanked President Buhari for initiating the programme.
