,,,lags off second phase for 6000 citizens
By David Okpashi
LAFIA —-GOVERNOR Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, on Tuesday flagged off the second phase of Conditional Cash Transfer Programme for 6000 citizens collecting N7,000 as monthly stipend for the next 2years.
Governor Sule, while flagging off the 2nd phase of the exercise tagged (Kudin A A Sule) in Lafia, said it was to improve the standard of living of the widows, the aged and the orphans among other less privileged in the state.
Sule,who said that his administration’s decision to increase the cash payment from N5,000 to N7,000 in the second phase of the programme, he urged the beneficiaries to use the money judiciously.
According to him,, the conditional cash transfer initiative by his administration has afforded the beneficiaries opportunity to invest in businesses that would affect their lives positively.
“Nasarawa state was the only one implementing the programme in the country.Today the beneficiaries would received two months stipends which is N14000.
On his part, Speaker of the State Legislature, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, commended the Governor for initiating the programme towards changing life of widows, the aged and orphans among others in the state.
” Your programmes have direct bearing on the lives of our people at the grassroots, we will continue to support you to succeed”, he said
While urging the Governor to continue with what he had been doing for the poor of the poorest and other vulnerable in the state, the Speaker assured him of the enabling laws for the overall development of the state.
” We will continue to pray for you, we will be there for you and we will support you with enabling laws that are expected to give backing to all what you are doing” he said.
In their goodwill messages, the ALGON Chairman and Chairman, Aminu Muazu maifata, and the Commissioner for Humanitarian, Margret Elayo, appreciated Gov. Sule for the gesture.
Earlier, the Director General, Nasarawa State Social Investment Agency, Imran Usman Jibrin,said that 6,000 citizens cutting across polling units in the state are beneficiaries of the programme.
He said that the beneficiaries excluded civil servants.
The Director General,who commended Gov. Sule for increasing the number of beneficiaries from 3, 800 to 6,000 and for increasing the stipend from N5,000 to 7,000 for the second phase, urged the beneficiaries to use the fund to improve on their standard of living.
Edited by Dawud Ahmed.
