From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
A forum consisting of Kaduna State ministries, departments and agencies, civil society groups, development partners and media working on social protection on Thursday called for the audit of the Kaduna State Social Register to address some identified inconsistencies therein.
The Kaduna state social register which currently contains 2.7 million poor and vulnerable individuals is the most reliable document available for the implementation of social protection programmes including conditional cash transfers among others.
The forum made the call at a one-day roundtable parley on strengthening transparency and accountability in the social protection system through the open government partnership (OGP) organised by Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition (KADSPAC) in collaboration with OGP technical working group on social protection with support from Save the Children International.
For example, the forum identified inconsistencies in the names and age of some prospective beneficiaries of social protection programmes in some communities which are making it difficult to execute some of the programmes in the field, hence, the need for the audit of the document as soon as possible.
Chairman, Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition (KADSPAC), Jessica Bartholomew remarked that there was the need for healthy synergy among all the social protection stakeholders in the state to ensure the targeted beneficiaries of any of the social protection programmes either by government or development partners are reached.
“We as an accountability group have been at the forefront of tracking social protection programmes in the state. So, we need to work together to see improved social protection, policies and laws that can improve the wellbeing of the generality of the poor and vulnerable people across all divides in the state”, she said.
Vocal Person, Kaduna Social Investment Office (KADSIO), Amina Saude-Atoyebi who was represented at the meeting by Rebecca Maulome Pandonu lamented the inability of some women benefitting from the conditional cash transfer to use the money to improve their livelihood due to the habit of their husbands who collect it from them.
Responding, the Advocacy and Communication Coordinator, SCI, Murjanatu Kabir called on the traditional and religious leaders to appeal to men involved to allow their wives to use the transferred funds for the purpose they were meant.
Earlier, Citizens Co-chair, OGP-TWG on Social Protection, Philip Yatai noted that the State government has developed its OGP second State Action Plan (SAP), 2021 – 2023 to build on the successes recorded in the First State Action Plan, 2018 -2020 with commitment 4 of the SAP specifically included strengthening social protection systems as a tool to ending multidimensional poverty in the state.
According to Philip, constant tracking, documentation and dissemination of findings on social protection releases and cash backing by the civil society will help the implementing agencies to know how they are fairing in their responsibilities as applicable to them.
“Several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) implementing social protection programmes are expected to play critical roles in ensuring that the commitments in the action plan are delivered within the period.
“The commitments were expected to be delivered in collaboration with civil society organizations and media in line with the OGP principle of co-creation and co-implementation of social protection policies and programmes”, he added.