NEWS
Kaduna State Govt Captures 2.1m Poor, vulnerable in Social Register – Official
The Kaduna State Government has captured 2.1 million individuals from 524,424 Poor and Vulnerable Households (PVHHs) in its Social Register.
The Coordinator of the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU), Planning and Budget Commission, Mrs Nina Dawong, made this known at a one-day Media Roundtable on the state of the State Social Register.
Dawong explained that SOCU was saddled with the responsibility of generating and maintaining the Social Register of the poor and vulnerable households in the state.
She explained that the data was mined by the Federal Government in the delivery of its Cash Transfer programme and other social protection programmes.
She added that the register would be made available for development partners, organisations, Non-Governmental Organisation to mine from for various social protection interventions.
She said that the 524,424 PVHHs consist of 2.1 million individuals in 166 wards, from 5,504 communities across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The coordinator said that populating the register commenced with 16,494 PVHHs and 71,305 individuals in 2017 and grew over the years to 524,424 PVHHs with 2,051,972 individuals as of February 2021.
She said that 93.6 per cent of the 524,424 PVHHs live in rural areas while 6.4 per cent were in urban centres.
She said that Kachia LGA has the highest number of PVHHs with 41,205 PVHHs captured in the register, followed by Sanga with 37,508 PVHHs and Kajuru LGA with 36,233 PVHHs.
Dawong identified the local government areas with the least number of PVHHs in the register as Zangon Kataf with 9,222 households, Soba 10,388 households and Jema’a with 11,027.
“Of the 2.1 million individuals, 1.1 million, representing 52.2 per cent are females, 981,845, representing 47.9 per cent are males and 46,836, representing 2.3 per cent are people living with disability.
“Also 25 per cent of the heads of the PVHH are unemployed, 45.2 per cent are farmers, 0.1 per cent are pensioners and 12,.8 per cent are housewives and house help.
“On education status, 63.6 per cent of the head of households had no formal education, 11.3 per cent had primary education, and 15.9 per cent had senior secondary school education.
“More so, 3.8 has junior secondary school education, 1.5 with National Diploma, while 0.5 has Higher National Diploma and bachelor’s degree respectively and 1.2 has certificate of education,” he said.
The coordinator added that in age distribution, 34 per cent of individuals in the register were between the ages of 16 to 35, and 28 per cent between the ages of six to 15.
She added that children from zero to five years made up 14 per cent, those between 36 to 65 years, 20 per cent, while those from 65 years and above made up four per cent.
Mr Biya Dogon, Head of Operations, SOCU, explained that the register was being generated through a comprehensive process known as Community Based Targeting (CBT).
Dogon explained that through the process, the community defines poverty and identifies those that should be captured in the register.
He said that the CBT process began in 2017 in nine pilot Local Government Areas (LGAs), three from each Senatorial Zone, Ikara, Kubau, Lere, Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia, Kauru and Sanga.
“However, in May 2020, the process was scaled-up to the remaining fourteen LGAs, thus covering the entire state.
The Permanent Secretary, PBC, Mr Mahmoud Yamusa, pointed out that the SSR would promote inclusiveness in the delivery of social protection intervention in the state.
Yamusa said that Kaduna State was one of the first in the country to pursue efficient delivery of safety-nets interventions to target poor and vulnerable residents in an inclusive and transparent manner.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Jalad Media Concept, Mr Joshua James explained that the engagement was organised to promote interactions between SOCU and the media.
According to him, media engagement is key to ensuring that citizens are well informed about government activities and intervention to enlist their support. (NAN)
By David Torough, Abuja
The remains of elder statesman and President General of the pan-Igbo group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, have been slated for burial on November 1.
Chairman of the burial committee, Senator Ben Obi, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
Alongside with the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Amb Okey Emuchay and burial sub-committee chairmen, Senator Osita Izunaso, Gen.
Azubuike Ihejirika (retd) and others, Obi unveiled a series of activities culminating into the actual burial ceremony.“Our message today is to convey the dates for the burial of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“Lagos day of tributes, Wednesday 16th October 2024 at Eko Hotels and Convention Centre.
“Abuja Day of Tributes Friday 18th October, 2024 at the National Ecumenical Centre.
“Enugu Day of tributes, Saturday 26th October with a brief stop at Ohanaeze headquarters, 7 Parkland GRA Enugu while the main event will be held at the Okpara Square.
“Owerri Service of Songs Tuesday 29th October 2024. Commendation Service on 1st November in Owerri and Imo day of burial on Friday, 1st November 2024,” he said.
He added that further details will be communicated in due course.
On whether the Federal Government would participate in the burial, Senator Obi said the committee will visit President Bola Tinubu to intimate him about the transition of the statesman and details of his burial.
“We will be visiting President Tinubu to formally announce to him details of this transition and I am sure the President knows all that Chief Iwuanyanwu had done and he will do the needful,” he said.
Asked whether the late newspaper publisher had regrets about his inability to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and ensure the realization of a restructure federation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo scribe said Chief Iwuanyanwu died a fulfilled man because he never shies away from doing his best in the circumstance.
“Chief Iwuanyanwu and I visited Kanu in jail and I think that was his last official assignment before his demise.
“Prior to that, he had never missed any opportunity to call for the release of Kanu.
“On restructuring, he never minced his words on equity, fairness and justice and he knew that he couldn’t do it alone.
“So he operated with the South-South PANDEF, Middle Belt Forum and Afenifere. He asked for parity in the number of states in each geopolitical zone.
“We in Ohanaeze will continue to pursue these issues that were very dear to his heart and we want to give the assurances that we will not fail,” Obi said.
President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly session in New York this year.The President has thus directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation, Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, said in a statement on Thursday.“President Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trip to China and the UK, wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding.
“At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings,” said the statement.The high-level General Debate, with the theme, “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations,”will run from Sept. 24, to Sept. 28. (NAN)
The National Examinations Council, (NECO) has released the June/July 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination results (SSCE), with 60.55 per cent of candidates securing five credits and above in English Language and Mathematics.
The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the NECO headquarters on Thursday in Minna, Niger.
Wushishi said that a total of 1,376,423 candidates, representing 706,950 males and 669,473 females, registered for the exam.
The registrar said that 1,367,736 candidates sat for the examination, representing 702,112 Males and 665,624 females.
He said that 828, 284 candidates had five credits and above, including English and Mathematics, representing 60.
55 per cent.Wushishi said that the number of candidates with five credits and above, irrespective of English and Mathematics, were 1,147,597, representing 83.90 per cent.
He said that there was a great reduction in the number of examination malpractices this year compared to 2023.
“The number of candidates involved in various forms of malpractice in 2024 is 8,437 as against 12,030 in 2023, which shows a reduction of 30. 1 per cent,” he said.
The registrar, however, said that 40 schools were found to be involved in mass cheating during the examination.
” During the conduct of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), 40 schools were found to have been involved in whole school (mass) cheating in 17 states.
” They will be invited to the Council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.
“A school in Ekiti was recommended for de-recognition for mass cheating in two core subjects and 01 Science subject.
” Similarly, 21 Supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness and negligence in 12 states,”said.
He urged candidates that sat for the examination to visit NECO website to access their results.
Wushishi said candidates can access their results on NECO website: www.neco.gov.ng using their examination registration number,” he said.(NAN)
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