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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, said his recent visit to Imo State was to ascertain the real beneficiaries of the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Cash Transfer Programme for the state.
Doro, who visited Imo State yesterday, interacted with some of the 278,727 households currently on the scheme which provides N75,000 to verified beneficiaries in three tranches.
The minister said the programme was specifically designed to support vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty, noting that already the federal government had disbursed over N6 billion to Imo State households.
Dr Doro said, “This programme was designed for vulnerable people to support their households. Let me quickly add that they are not to pay any money to anyone. If anyone makes financial demands on you, report them immediately.
“It’s a symbol of compassion that shows that the government identifies with the challenges of people. My visit to the beneficiaries in Imo State is to interact with them and find out if they experience any problems accessing the funds which go straight into their accounts.
“I came to know how the programme has affected the households and listen to their recommendations, if any, that can help us to strengthen the implementation of the programme.
“Currently, Imo State has 278,727 households on the programme. The beneficiaries receive ₦25,000 for three months to support their households economically.
“The ministry appreciates the support of the Imo State government to the programme, especially the support of Governor Hope Uzodimma to ensure that the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Cash Transfer Programme for Imo State beneficiaries is successful”, the minister said.
The State Programme Manager (SPM), Mr Odoemenam Onyemaechi, said the beneficiaries were painstakingly selected and dismissed fears that it was hijacked by politicians for their supporters.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Esther Amadi, said she used the money to engage labourers on her farm and expressed hopes of improved harvest in the coming months.
She said, “I thank the government for this programme. I used my money to pay hired labourers to plant cassava, cucumber, and ugu on my farm. I expect that I will harvest more than past years because they planted more on the farm for me”.
