FG To Start Payment Of N5,000 Monthly Stipends In Katsina, March

Beneficiaries in Katsina State will join those receiving federal government’s N5000 monthly stipends under its conditional cash transfer programme from March, 2017, the special adviser to the state government on girl child, Hajiya Binta Abba, has disclosed.

Abba, who briefed newsmen on the outcome of the training for the programme in Katsina, said between 800 to 1000 poor and vulnerable households in 12 select local governments, which represent about 30 per cent of the local councils in the state will benefit from the payment.

She commended the efforts of President Muhammdu Buhari and Governor Aminu Bello Masari over the programme designed to assist the less privileged and vulnerable persons in the society.

She was optimistic that no fewer than 144 participants from the 12 pilot local government areas in the state were equipped with the modern tools and technology to be used during the community based targeting for the identification of the beneficiaries.

Abba further explained that the remaining 22 local government areas would be covered in phases and sued for the cooperation and support of the participants and selected communities.

Earlier, Abdulrhman Marafa, chairman of local governments’ heads of administration in the state, who spoke at the closing ceremony of the four day training, pledged the councils’ support for the success of the programme and assured that its implementation in Katsina would be model for other states to emulate.

Earlier, the coordinator, National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), Mr. Peter Papka, said the present administration is at the threshold of making a difference in the fight against extreme poverty as members of select communities were getting the opportunity of defining poverty and vulnerability in their communities for the first time in the history of the country.

Source: Leadership