By Favour Goodness
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has resumed payment of Conditional Cash Transfer to 15, 768 vulnerable households in Anambra.
Loading ...The payment, coordinated by the National Cash Transfer Office, is part of the Social Intervention Programmes of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration aimed at providing support for the most vulnerable.
Mr Ralph Enukorah, Head of Unit, Anambra State Cash Office said the beneficiaries cut across 11 of the 21 Local Government Areas of the state
Enukorah said the payments started with six pilot Local Government Areas which are considered poorest in the state including Awka North, Anambra West, Dunukofia, Ihiala, Anyamelum and Orumba South.
He said the program had been extended to five more Local Government Areas including Awka South, Onitsha North, Ogbaru, Nnewi North and Anambra East in order to accommodate more beneficiaries.
He said the register of beneficiaries is generated by a sister orgs, the social operations coordinating unit which goes on to the villages/wards to generate data on vulnerable households.
He equally informed that payment is made every two months and that beneficiaries would get a sum of N10, 000 in addition to any arrears for those not paid in previous editions.
Enukorah who assured that all beneficiaries will be paid commended Hajiya Halima Shehu and Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouk the Minister respectively for providing the framework for effective implementation of the Programme.
“The federal government is paying the beneficiaries of the conditional Cash Transfer, as a social intervention programme of the Buhari administration.
“Every month, poor and vulnerable households are paid N5,000 and in Anambra State we have a total of 15,768 beneficiaries spread across 11 Local Government Areas,” he said
A beneficiary, Mr Sunday Nwanna, an indigene of Amawbia Awka South LGA said the money would go a long way to ameliorating his burdens and that of his family.
Nwanna said though the N10,000 would not be enough for him to set up a cottage business, but that it was a huge relief for him and his family.
He thanked the Federal Government for the programme and urged it to continue because it meant a lot for the poor.
Also speaking Mrs Regina Obikie of Ihiala LGA expressed gladness for receiving the money as it would help her increase her little business.
She however, regretted that the beneficiaries at her centre waited for a long time before the people affecting the pay arrived.
But in an interview with Mr Bernard Nwobodo, the representative of the Payment Service Provided (PSP) said the system was being automated to reduce the stress of accessing the money for the beneficiaries.
Nwobodo said the National Cash Transfer Office had begun the digitalisation of the payment process such that ATM cards would be provided for beneficiaries.
According him, the process has been activated in some local government Areas including Ihiala, Awka North, Orumba South and will be extended to others,
“When these cards are activated, the beneficiaries can access the money through a bank ATM, and other financial services providers for easy withdrawal of their money after verification
