CALABAR – Govment of Cross River State don make am clear say dia Social Investment Programme open for all people wey qualify for the state, no be only members of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
State Coordinator for Social Intervention and Investment Programme, Effiom Edem, tok dis one during training of Ward Development Officers wey happen for Friday for Axari Hotels, Calabar.
Office of the State Coordinator, Social Investment Programme organise di training as part of effort to update di State Social Register for Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme across di 196 council wards for Cross River State.
More than 85 Ward Development Officers from Southern Senatorial District join di training, while similar training for Central and Northern Senatorial Districts don schedule for next week.
As e dey tok with journalists, Edem reject claim say di programme na only for APC members. E insist say di social investment initiative go reach every category of people for Cross River State.
“No, no, una don see di distribution of wetin we dey plan do. E go cut across every strata, every facet of di Cross River population. E no be strictly for APC,” e tok.
Edem explain say Governor Bassey Otu appoint di Ward Development Officers to serve as di closest link between govment and grassroots people, so that di benefits of di People First social investment agenda fit reach vulnerable citizens for all wards.
According to am, govment dey put measures in place to ensure sustainability and transparency of di programme, especially through digitisation of di entire social register process.
E add say di digital system go help prevent duplication, reduce fraud, and minimise political interference for selection of beneficiaries.
“To fight political interference, na why we dey build capacity. Once di people know their rights and di limits of their responsibilities, dem go fit tell politicians say dem no fit go beyond di established boundaries,” e tok.
Di coordinator also reveal say state govment plan to train 196 Ward Development Officers and 25 Local Government Liaison Officers across di state to facilitate implementation of di social investment programme.
E add say di programme go support 150 beneficiaries, with 100 persons expected to receive direct cash transfers, while others go get skills acquisition and empowerment support.
State Coordinator of di Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, Dr. Prince Michael Nku Abuo, also tok say di beneficiary selection process go include representatives from churches, Muslim communities, women groups, youth groups, traditional institutions, APC members, and non-APC political actors.
E say di 196 Ward Development Officers go serve as di “eyes and ears” of di governor for di grassroots and ensure say di approved structure for beneficiary selection dey strictly followed.
“This programme dey structured in such a way that everybody dey properly carried along. Cross River State belong to all of us, and Governor Bassey Otu na governor for both APC members and members of other political parties,” Nku Abuo tok.
Di Social Investment Programme na part of di state govment broader effort to strengthen social protection, reduce poverty, and improve welfare of poor and vulnerable households through targeted cash transfers and empowerment initiatives.
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