From Yakubu Busari, Jos
L-R: Adviser to Governor Simon Lalong, Dr-Sumaye Hamza and State coordinator of the Programme, Mrs Hilda Buenyen during the sensitization programme for beneficiaries in Jos during the week.
Cash Transfer Programme Officer in Plateau State ,Mrs Lydia Salba, has disclosed that 226 Communities are beneficiary of federal government programme toward poverty reduction and empowerment .
She made known at closing ceremony of a 4- Day Step Down Training of 126 Local Government Cash Transfer Facilitators on Household Uplifting Program (HUP) orientation and beneficiary Enrollment Process held at Dadin kowa Youths Centre, Jos.
Mrs Salba who is Training and Communication Officer of the programme in the state, said that the it was touching lives to vulnerable poor citizens of the state and raising hopes of many people who are mostly affected either by crises of over the years or fraudulent Fadama savings that left many ‘koboless.’
” We Thank God for the President Buhari led Administration that has introduced this laudable cash transfer program that brought back smiles on the faces of many citizens, whose hope were almost dashed” she added.
According to her ,”The joy of all this is that the state government hopes do more for the citizens by adding to what the federal government is doing at enhancing the welfare of the citizenry,” .
Beside Cash Transfer, Plateau government has urged facilitators to train beneficiaries on savings, investment and in improve health care delivery, said Salba as she tasked newly enrolled cash transfer facilitators on proper and effective training of beneficiaries of the federal government cash transfer program on savings and investments.
Mrs. Helda. Bueyen, Head of Unit, Plateau State Cash Transfer Programme explained that the training was solely to see how the facilitators could assist beneficiaries of the cash transfer in the rural communities to develop their capacities toward uplifting their livelihood.
She said; “We expect you, after this rigorous training, to go back to your communities and training beneficiaries of this cash transfer programme on what to do with the stipends they receive every time.
“Make sure you advise them to form cooperative groups that will help boost their economic power and make life better and meaningful to them and their families through savings, skills acquisition and investments, ”
For the Special Adviser to Gov. Simon Lalong on National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) , Dr Sumaye Hamza, CCT programme aim to reduce poverty by making welfare programmes conditional upon the receivers’ actions.
Dr Hamza spoke in Jos South Local Government Council during the awareness campaign for beneficiaries of the CCT .
“You would recall that the government (or a charity) only transfers the money to persons who meet certain criteria as while as the total of those that are enrolling children into public schools, getting regular check-ups at the doctor’s office, receiving vaccinations, “.
She said with the N5,000 rural women have been able to form cooperative society (Adashe) by opening saving with micro finance banks .
“We teach them to develop their own livelihoods so that they can improve their conditions by venturing into animals husbandry to themselves in small scale businesses and how to build their capability .
According to Dr Hamza , virtually 22,000 households are expected as beneficiaries and before the end of September the improve to 72,000 .
Hamza, who is the State SIP Focal Person, described the exercise as well “commendable” as a great “success” looking at the smooth transfer of the funds to the beneficiaries in the state.
She maintained that “The conditional cash transfer is carried out simultaneously with training and retraining of staff in all the 17 local government areas of Plateau state “.
“She eulogized Governor Lalong good gesture over President Muhammadu Buhari program of fighting unemployment and poverty in the land “.
She applauded the Plateau state beneficiaries across the 17 LGAs for forming themselves into different groups and the impression we see them during the assessment looking very clean and happiness in their faces is quite commendable.
” We see changes they are boasting some are crying indicating that their condition of living has improve ,even those who have lost focus in their life are now doing better ,”she said.
She reiterated that ,” CCT seeks to help the current generation in fighting poverty, as well as breaking the cycle of poverty for the next through the development of human capital”.
