The maiden payment of beneficiaries of the Household Uplifting Programme of National Social Investment Scheme for Abia State has been flagged off in Umunna-Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North LGA.
Speaking at the event, the State Governor Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu represented by his Deputy, Sir Oko Chukwu charged beneficiaries of the Household Uplifting programme to invest the money into meaningful ventures the could yield returns so as to achieve the purpose of the scheme.
He assured Abians that his administration would continue key into any federal government or donor agencies social investment programmes that would benefit the rural populace by meeting all the conditions involved.
Earlier, the State Focal Person of the Social Investment Programme, Mr. Chinenye Nwaogu explained that the scheme was initiated by Federal and State Government partnership with the World Bank to assist the extreme poor people in the rural areas have a means of livelihood.
He said the programme also incapsulated the N- Power programme, which currently has sixteen thousand Abians in its employ, School Feeding programme which is used to feed Abia children from Primary one to six as well as the one being flagged off which is the final flank of the scheme known as ‘Conditional Cash Transfer.’
Mr. Nwaogu further stated that Abia State was one of the States in Nigeria chosen for the pilot scheme where six Local Government Areas were selected representing two each from the three senatorial zones in the State.
He thanked Governor Ikpeazu for repositioning the State with his people-oriented policies of which partnership with donor agencies was among them disclosing that the Governor is currently in discussion with the World Bank Team in Abuja for several other developmental projects.
Continuing, he explained that four hundred and sixty-three that were captured in the Social register of the poor and vulnerable of the World Bank and issued with Identification Cards which makes them eligible for all further entitlements from the International body.
In their various speeches, the commissioner for Cooperatives, Rural Development and Poverty Reduction, Prince Ezekwesiri Ananaba and the member representing Umuahia south in the Abia State House of Assembly, Chief Jerry Uzosike said that the programme had enrolled nine thousand three hundred and seventy three household in the six Local Government Areas of Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Ugwunabo , Ukwa East , Ohafia and Umunneochi in the pilot scheme and praised the effort Governor Ikpeazu in attracting the programme and taking Abia to the next level of development.