Moshood Adebayo and Merit Ibe
The Federal Government, yesterday, commenced the disbursement of N446.6 million to 22,380 poor and vulnerable households in nine local government areas of Kaduna State, under the National Cash Transfer Programme.
Focal person on Social Investment Programme in the state, Mrs. Saude Atoyebi, said each household would receive N20,000 as stipend due for the months of January, February, March and April, at N5,000 per month.
She said the disbursement, which commenced in Sanga, Kachia and Lere local government areas, would be extended to Kauru on Wednesday, April 8.
She added that beneficiaries in the remaining five local government areas of Ikara, Kubau, Birnin Gwari, Chikun and Kajuru would be paid Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
Atoyebi said beneficiaries were drawn from the National Social Register and the state’s social register of poor and vulnerable households.
According to her, the money would significantly help households to cope with the hardship following the lockdown of some states to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Similarly, the National Social Investment Programme says it has commenced the payment of N20,000 to more than 34,456 beneficiaries in Kogi State.
Mr. Abdulkareem Onyekehi, the focal person of the SIP in Kogi State, yesterday, after monitoring the disbursement at some payment centres in Lokoja and Okene, told journalists that the exercise, which started on Monday, was smooth and hitch-free.
He noted that the disbursement was being carried out simultaneously across 21 local government areas.
Onyekehi explained that N20,000, being payment from January to April 2020, was disbursed to 34,456 CCT beneficiaries in Kogi, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, as part of palliatives to cushion the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have visited Lokoja and Okene pay points and the exercise is going on smoothly and peacefully, putting smiles on the faces of the thousands of poor and vulnerable people in rural communities of Kogi State,” he said.
Onyekehi commended Governor Yahaya Bello for ensuring adequate security, support and releasing the senior special assistants to the governor on security for close monitoring of the exercise.
He noted that the NSIP would also be unveiling the modalities of the implementation of school feeding programme for pupils’ households.
