Metro
FCTA Allocates N2.745bn to FCT Fadama CARES
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has allocated the sum of $4.5 million amounting to N2.745 billion to the FCT Fadama COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) project for the implementation of three Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) out of a total allocation of $15 million from the World Bank.
FCT Minister of State, Dr.
Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, made this disclosure at the flag-off ceremony for the disbursement of grants to FCT Fadama COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus beneficiaries held in Kwali, Abuja.The minister explained that the programme is a World Bank budget support to the FCT Administration for non-discretionary expenditure which is targeted at supporting existing and newly emerging vulnerable and poor households, agricultural value chains, and Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs) that have been negatively impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic.
Aliyu maintained that the programme was to be implemented using the World Bank Programme for Result (P for R) financing model which is a relatively new concept of projects financing.
“This model requires the FCT Administration who is the beneficiary of the credit to invest its own resources first by funding delivery platforms to start implementation, while the World Bank thereafter reimburses the FCTA after verification of achieved results by Independent Verification Agents (IVAs) in line with agreed prices and targets earlier set for all Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs),” the minister stated.
The minister said that the programme was deliberately designed to support the recovery of livelihood activities of poor and vulnerable persons engaged in Agricultural value chain activities with special consideration to women and unemployed youth.
She, therefore, directs the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat to make available to FCT Fadama CARES project the technical expertise during the course of project implementation to ensure the successful implementation of the programme.
In his remarks, FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, noted that shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, the World Bank Nigeria Country office, recognizing the devastating effects of the pandemic on the world’s economy and Nigeria in particular, which led to loss of lives and livelihoods, found it expedient to intervene.
Adesola further stated that the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus programme was conceived to help states mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic, stressing that FCT as the nation’s capital embraced this noble idea and has been an active participant during the entire process of the programme preparatory activities from March 2020 till date.
Meanwhile, the Mandate Secretary FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim, informed the audience that the FCT performed excellently scoring 88 percent during a very rigorous eligibility assessment process conducted by the World Bank for this programme.
He stressed that the performance placed FCT among the top bracket of states that performed excellently thereby making them eligible for the receipt of higher amount of advances from the World Bank.
“It is gratifying to note that as a result of this excellent performance, the World Bank granted FCT a one-off advance in the sum of one hundred million naira only to support commencement of implementation of the FCT CARES programme,” he affirmed.
He disclosed that the event would empower at first instance, 529 farmers from eight community associations across the six area councils, adding that the disbursement of grants would not have been possible without the unflinching commitment of the FCT Administration towards ensuring the successful implementation of FCT Fadama CARES project.
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria (CWON) has organized a trauma healing session for survivors of the Jos Saint Academy School collapse alongside parents who lost their children in the unfortunate incident.The National President of the organization, Dame Mary Gonzum noted that the effort was part of their psychosocial support and counseling services for victims of the school building collapse as a follow-up to the assessment of the condition of the victims during their visit.
Gonzum speaking during a one day trauma session held at the Secretariat of the Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese located along Zaria Road in Jos the Plateau State capital said the trauma healing session was in continuation of their intervention to students who experienced the building collapsed.”Today, a trauma healing session was flagged off with a seminar on how to go about handling the trauma that victims of the Saint Academy School Busa Buji in Jos are passing through.”We will later select those that are so traumatic and need help to continue with the process of healing because it is not something that will end in a day or two but will need sometime.”The surviving students who experienced the building collapsed, parents of the students are all here because some parents are so traumatic, we have one other woman that lost two children”This trauma became necessary because when we went visiting in the hospitals, we observed that some of them are really traumatic. Like the other boy, his mother said up till today he kept telling his mother that he is seeing dead bodies, and anybody he sees he will say is his classmate.”Some of the affected parents while sharing their encounters after the incident said they hardly sleep in the day or night time. Some manage to sleep for two hours and they’re awake, and from the little lectures we received today it is clear that there is a problem,” She noted.The President calls on the government to ensure that those saddled with the responsibility of approving, inspecting and supervising structures are meant to do their job with all diligence to avert future happenings again.Some of the affected parents including; Hasana Suleman Sale who lost two of her children recalled with pains the unfortunate development that claimed the lives of her two children. She expressed gratitude for the trauma healing session which she said came as a means of consolation and strength for her to overcome the trauma she is passing through.
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has welcomed the newly-appointed Apostolic to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty.
Crotty, an Irish, was appointed by the Vatican.
He will oversee the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the church in Nigeria.
The position, an ambassadorial status, advances cohesion in the body of Christ.
In his welcome message for Crotty on Tuesday, the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, said that the Church was glad to receive him.
The CBCN president, who is also the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, said,” With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, clergy, religious and lay faithful in Nigeria.
“We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.
“His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries,” he said.
He said that although Crotty was the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to serve in Nigeria, many Irish missionaries had played significant roles in spreading the gospel in Nigeria.
“We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation.
“We pray for a fruitful mission and a blessed tenure for our excellency,” he added. (NAN)
The National Boundary Commission (NBC), says it has concluded plans to provide infrastructure in flash locations along interstate boundaries to encourage integration and cooperation.
The Director-General of the commission, Mr Adamu Adaji, stated this in an interview in Abuja on Wednesday.
Adaji said that the commission would look at flash point areas and provide infrastructures that would encourage cooperation and integration among border communities.
He said that the goal was to see how the commission could bring people in border communities together to share from a common facility.
This, according to him, will douse tension and bring some kind of understanding among border communities.
“The bounder communities will share the facilities, which in the long run will bring the people together and eventually reduce tension and boundary conflicts.
“This is a way of encouraging integration and cooperation by encouraging people to come together, relate with one another and engage in beneficial commercial activities.”
Adaji said that a similar initiative was test runed with a borehole, constructed boundary corridor in Ado Local Government Area of Benue state, where it shared boundary with Ebonyi.
“We have also been able to construct some market stalls in the Ebonyi sector of the boundary between Ebonyi and Cross River,” he added.
“So, our appeal is for people to appreciate, cooperate and understand that boundaries are not barriers.
“The boundary line will not stop somebody from owning properties across and that is what we want to partner with the states to educate people along by the boundary corridors. (NAN)
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