From Paul Orude, Bauchi
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq has flagged off the distribution of Engagement Letters and Devices for 300 trained Independent Monitors in Bauchi State.
Farouq who flagged off the distribution at Command Guest House, Bauchi, on Monday, explained that the Independent Monitors were trained to monitor the National Social Investment Programme (NSHIP) of the federal government in the State.
“NSIP was created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 with the mandate of lifting citizens out of poverty through a number of Social Interventions,” she said.
These programmes are N-POWER, National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (CCT), and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).
The minister said the Programmes were being implemented in 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
She recalled that training of 5000 Independent monitors for NSHIP took place in Abuja on Thursday February 4, 2021 and carried out across the country, including Bauchi State from February 2021 to April 2021.
“Today I am here to flag off the distribution of Engagement Letters and Devices for the trained Independent Monitors in Bauchi State,” she stated.
“These Devices are equipped with an Application that will be used to report on monitoring activities of the trained Independent Monitors,” she added.
Farouq explained that devices would be used for monitoring the programme locally made in Nigeria and the Monitoring Application designed by an indigenous company.
“The Application, which we called the Social Investment Management Information System (SIMIS), is a mobile and web-based Application designed for monitoring the National Social Investment Programme.
“Using this Application, the Ministry sees real time report of activities of the Independent Monitors on the Field,” she stated.
“We can view reports submitted and see the NSIP performance indicators by state. This will enable the Ministry to detect areas where there are challenges and provide greater visibility of activities happening in the field. Essentially, it will help us deliver on our mandate and contribute to Mr. President’s vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of Poverty”
The minister explained further that each Independent Monitor was expected to monitor a designated number of beneficiaries of the NSHIP.
“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,” she said.
She said the engagement letters articulated the scope of work for the Independent monitors include provision of evidence-based report on findings in the field, submission of various categories of reports in accordance with the set timelines and attending all trainings and meetings as required by the Ministry.
She informed that the independent Monitors are not allowed to assign their responsibilities to third parties, adding that every independent monitor would be held accountable by the Ministry for the task given to them.
“The Ministry reserves the right to disengage an Independent Monitor for misconduct or noncompliance with set guidelines and directives. I hereby urge you to carry out this assignment with outmost sense of patriotism, diligence, and sincerity. We at the Ministry will not accept anything short of the set standards.
“The duration of your assignment is for one year, from the June 2021 to the May 2022,” she state while congratulating the Independent Monitors.
Earlier in her remarks, the Special Adviser on Social Investment Programme to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Hajia Amina Mohammed Katagum, assured the minister that the federal government would not regret investing in the people of the state.
‘You will not have any regret as far as Bauchi State is concerned and the coming of Independent monitors is timely and will improve the lots of beneficiaries
“We have seen a significant change in the NSIP especially in Bauchi State and we thank the minister for her untiring efforts, commitmentand passion for the state,” Katagum stated
She urged the monitors to ensure that they used the devices of the devices for the purpose they are being distributed to them saying “this assignment is something we urge you to do very well as you have been trained.