NEWS
NSIP: FG Recruits, Trains 7,452 Independent Monitors, Distributes Tablets
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD), said it had employed and trained 7,452 Independent Monitors to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of the integrated National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) across the country.
The Minister, FMHADMSD, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, disclosed this at inauguration of the training and onboarding of 3000 Stream 2 Independent Monitors of the N-SIP in Lokoja at the weekend.
The Minister, who was represented by her Special Assistant on Monitoring and Evaluation, Mrs Bilikisu Dauda-Damisa, said the training and onboarding of Stream 2 Independent Monitors was flagged off June 9, 2022, in Abuja.
She noted that the Stream l, had 4,452 Independent Monitors trained and enrolled in February and March 2021, while Stream ll had 3000, totaling 7, 452 Independent monitors across the country.
Umar-Farouq added that the Ministry had provided working tools in the form of Tablets for them to carry out their monitoring activities on the field.
She said the NSIP was created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 with the mandate of lifting citizens out of poverty through a number of Social Interventions.
According to her, the NSIP include: Job Creation – NPOWER, National Home-Grown School Feeding (NHGSFP), Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).
She said that since NSIP commenced in 2016, over one million youths had been employed under Npower, two million beneficiaries under CCT, 10 million pupils under HGSFP and 230,000 under the GEEP intervention programmes.
She said the Independent Monitors are responsible for monitoring the NSIPs in their various communities in schools, households, and market clusters with the focus of ensuring that its primary objectives were achieved.
”Monitors are one of the most important components of the NSIP and the Ministry lays special emphasis on ensuring its programmes are closely monitored.
”We have monitors in every local government area, where the NSIPs are being implemented,” she said.
She urged the independent monitors to work hand in hand with the state NSIP team, and cautioned them against intimidation or harassment of beneficiaries.
”Any Independent Monitor found intimidating or harassing a beneficiary will be taken off the programme.
”Be informed that we have officials of the EFCC and DSS working with us on this programme, and those found culpable will be handed over to relevant authorities,” she said.
The minister urged the participants to use the resources and working tools given to them judiciously.
Earlier, the state’s Focal Person of N-SIP, Mr Suleiman Onyekehi, said the social intervention programmes had achieved a tremendous success in alleviating poverty in the state.
Onyekehi, who doubles as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, said 177,000 out of the total 258,000 enrolled pupils from Primary 1 to 3, were currently being fed, and over 3000 cooks recruited in the state.
He appealed to the federal government for improvement in budgetary allocation of N70 per child, saying inflation rate had rendered the N70 inadequate to feed a child.
He added that over 74,000 CCT beneficiaries currently receiving N10,000 each bi-monthly; over 26,000 Npower beneficiaries of both Batch C, Stream 1 & 2; and 7,000 shortlisted for disbursement under GEEP across the state.
He noted Kogi now had about 100 independent monitors spread across the state with critical roles to play, urging them to ensure total collaboration with the state NSIP team.
He disclosed that the State Government had recently disengaged over 100 cooks who defaulted in one way or the other against the national rules and guidelines.
Onyekehi added that the process for their replacement were currently ongoing, saying many more cooks would be recruited to cater for the enrolled 258,000 pupils across the state.
He assured that the Government under the leadership of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, operated open governance accessible to all, and committed to transparency and accountability.
On his part, the state Coordinator of the Independent Monitors, Adam Imam, commended the federal government for the initiative in using independent monitors for N-SIP activities which he said, had ensured effective monitoring and followups.
From Francis Sadhere, Delta
It was a celebration of infrastructure and loyalty recently as residents of Okpe Community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State marched through the streets of Kokori in a colorful procession to express appreciation to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for the successful completion of the long-abandoned Okpe Street construction project.
The jubilant crowd—comprising elders, women and youths from the six polling units of the community—converged at the private residence of the Director General of the Delta State Orientation and Communications Bureau, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, who was instrumental in initiating and overseeing the project.Addressing the crowd, Dr. Oghenesivbe expressed gratitude for the show of appreciation, describing the visit as a heartwarming birthday gift, as it coincided with his birth anniversary.“I am very happy today, being my birth anniversary, that you deemed it necessary to appreciate our working governor, my leader and boss, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, for a job well done,” Oghenesivbe said. “I will convey your appreciation to His Excellency and also present your gift to him.”He revealed that the project, along with that of Agbonmiyeri Street, was initiated during the administration of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in 2022, after his personal appeal.Governor Oborevwori, he said, ensured prompt release of funds and tasked the Ministry of Works (Rural), led by Commissioner Charles Aniagwu, to ensure quality execution.Oghenesivbe lauded both Governor Oborevwori and his predecessor for prioritizing infrastructural development in the state, urging eligible voters across Delta to rally behind the duo of Oborevwori and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.The joyous celebration also featured singing, dancing, and the presentation of a giant 4×6 glassed photo of Governor Oborevwori to Dr. Oghenesivbe, who received it on the governor’s behalf.Councillor representing Ward 12, Hon. Oghoghorie Vwede described the road’s completion as a long-awaited breakthrough.He praised Oghenesivbe for his relentless efforts in ensuring the project’s realization and reaffirmed the community’s commitment to political support in upcoming elections.“Okpe Street had been neglected for centuries, but today we are celebrating its transformation. We are proud of Dr. Oghenesivbe, a true son of the soil, and we are ready to reciprocate this gesture by voting en masse for Tinubu and Oborevwori in 2027,” Vwede said.With over 4,000 registered voters, Okpe Community has now publicly pledged its allegiance to the ongoing leadership in the state and the nation, turning a completed road project into a political statement of loyalty and gratitude.
From Francis Sadhere, Delta
A mild confrontation broke out yesterday morning between protesting Itsekiri youths and some Ijaw youths at the NPA Miller Waterside area of Warri, Delta State, amid ongoing controversy surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ward and unit delineation in the Warri Federal Constituency.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 10:45AM, saw tensions flare when the Itsekiri youths, who were peacefully protesting across designated streets in Warri, were reportedly attacked with stones by a group of Ijaw youths around the NPA Miller axis. Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigerian Army, swiftly intervened to prevent further escalation. Military patrols have since been intensified around NPA Miller and the Ekurede Itsekiri/Ugbori end to maintain peace and order in the area.The protest by the Itsekiri youths is linked to allegations of bias and perceived irregularities in INEC’s recent ward delineation exercise, which they claim may disenfranchise their ethnic group within the Warri Federal Constituency.Meanwhile, in a bid to de-escalate tensions and foster dialogue, a high-level stakeholders’ meeting involving representatives of the Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Urhobo ethnic groups has been convened in Abuja. The meeting, spearheaded by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is expected to commence at 12 noon Monday.The gathering aims to address the deepening ethnic concerns and maintain peace in the oil-rich and ethnically diverse Warri Federal Constituency.As the situation unfolds, security agencies remain on high alert, while local leaders and community stakeholders continue to call for restraint, tolerance, and a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
From Francis Sadhere, Delta
Panic and despair have gripped residents of Akugbene Community in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State following a devastating coastal erosion and landslide incident that left many homes, farmlands, fish ponds, canoes and a major jetty destroyed.Several days after the disaster, affected residents are still reeling from the shock and now live in fear of another wave of erosion, which they say could permanently submerge the community.
Speaking to journalists, the Chairman of Akugbene Community, Cletus Edougha, appealed to government agencies and humanitarian bodies to urgently provide relief materials to residents who have lost both shelter and their means of livelihood.A widow, Suogha Gbawei, tearfully recounted her losses and pleaded with the Delta State and Federal Governments to intervene swiftly. “We have been rendered homeless and hopeless. Everything we depend on to survive has been washed away,” she lamented.While the Member representing Bomadi–Patani Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Nicholas Mutu, has mobilized contractors with heavy equipment for temporary remedial work, residents insist that only a lasting solution—such as the construction of a shore wall—can save the community from complete extinction.Chairman of Bomadi Local Government Area, Dagidi Andaye, who visited the disaster site for an on-the-spot assessment, confirmed the scale of destruction and emphasized the urgent need for a permanent ecological intervention.“Akugbene is just one of the many riverine communities in Bomadi LGA facing this threat. Ninety percent of our communities are at risk due to persistent coastal erosion,” Andaye said. “For now, the council will provide palliatives and construct temporary shelters for displaced residents.”He urged the Federal and State Governments, as well as relevant interventionist agencies, to partner with the local government in combating the growing ecological challenge.While no lives were lost in the incident, Andaye praised the resilience of the community’s youths who worked tirelessly to protect the remaining portions of the damaged jetty from further destruction.As Akugbene counts its losses and hopes for swift government intervention, the disaster has once again brought to light the urgent need for comprehensive and sustainable environmental protection measures for Delta State’s riverine communities.
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