Against the backdrop of the Renew Hope Agenda of the administration of President Tinubu to raising fifteen Million Vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty ,the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice ANEEJ has urge Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to urgently sign the Social Protection policy into law to ensure seamless implementation of the program
The Coordinator of the ANEEJ in Kogi state, Halimat Oyiza Sadiq made the call during an outreach session and monitoring visit to Kuroko community over the weekend in Adavi LGA of the state.
The program coordinator, who was accompanied by officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ministry of humanitarian Affairs and the National Orientation Agency noted that the outreach session has afforded them deeper challenges facing the smooth implementation of the program.
Sadiq stated that the ANEEJ in collaboration with BROT, NISD and in synergy with ministry of women Affairs and Social Development have drafted a policy awaiting the assent of the Governor, stressing that the bill has been overdue to become a law in the state.
She said the Act NAIJA Project, presenting Civil Society Action to Strengthen Social Protection program is essentially aimed at improving the inclusivity of Social Protection system and to ensure that the vulnerable live a life of dignity and an improved livelihoods.
She added that the outreach to Kuroko is to foster and to create awareness on the need for a clean social register of the social safety protection program.
The state coordinated stressed that the purpose of the program is to cushion the effect of poverty on the vulnerable Nigerians, as ANEEJ is working hard to create awareness of various windows available to the people.
She said to this end, stakeholders from the implementing ministries were brought together to ensure that beneficiaries are not being short changed, noting that a lot of revelations have emerged from the disbursements of conditional cash transfer to the beneficiaries.
According to her, the ANEEJ which is co-funded by the European Union AU is a non political and non religious, is implementing the program in three local Government Areas – Adavi, Igalamela and Lokoja in kogis state- to ensure that the poorest of the poor benefits from the programs.
She appeal to the state government and coordinators of various social programs to ensure its full implementation, urging for adequate follow up and monitoring so that the activities are disseminated to the beneficiaries.
* We are here to support the vulnerable groups through monitoring to ensure that there wouldn’t be gaps in the process. What we are seeing today, a lot of beneficiaries complained of being short changed and underpaid. Yes, they benefited , but they didn’t receive the right amount. These gaps are those things the government needs to look into.
* ANEEJ is working with kogi state government on the need to pass into law the draft bill which is before the Ministry of Women Affairs and social development for onward transmission to the Governor for his assent on the draft policy.The need for Kogi to have Social Protection law is overdue. We are engaging the government to transform the draft policy into law , so that we can have a structured social protection activities.” She appeal.
While assuring that the remaining two years out of the three years of ANEEJ project, 2025-2027 that a lot would be achieved, if all hands are on deck to ensure that the draft policy is assented , noting that the law is key to the successful implementation of the program.
In her contribution, the Head of project, Conditional Cash Transfer, Bridget Okpanachi James acknowledged the challenges inherent in the implementation, but, assured that those gaps are being worked on, adding that some officials have been identified and sanctioned accordingly.
She urged the people to give proper information while filling the Social register to avoid being disqualified, nothing that other social intervention programs– Trader money, Fadama,Kogi cares, CSDA and School feeding –rely heavily on the accurate social register.
In a remark, Mr. Mark Olufemi Babatunde of the Ministry of Women Affairs decried the surge of drug addiction by the youth, saying it has created unimaginable humanitarian crisis for the state
He disclosed that the state is in collaboration with National Drugs Law Endorsement Agency NDLEA in the rehabilitation of addicts , assuring that the unwanted elements wandering in the streets would be repatriated to their state of origins.
Also , the National Head of ANEEJ, David Ugolor , represented by Tesley Otuh commended kogi state stakeholders for their untiring effort at seeing to the successful implementation of the program.
In their separate remarks, the Council Chairman of Adavi Local Government Council,Hon.Rasheed Bashir Okatem represented by his Chief of Staff , Usman Obaro Abuh ,National Orientation Agency, Momoh Sani Ozovehe and Etudaye Musa, community Mobilizer pledged to escalate enlightenment and awareness campaigns so as to achieve desired results.
They agreed to work in synergy to ensure that proper filling of social register is achieved to prevent the muddling of names of beneficiaries as some persons are lifted outside their Communities.
They highlighted the need for the implementing agencies to ensure that capturing by proxy , people without bank account, double registration are avoided and ATM PIN is customized to beneficiaries, stressing that this will forestall short changing beneficiaries.
