The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, has said that the ministry has lifted millions of Nigerians from poverty since the commencement of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
Speaking Thursday in Abuja during the closing ceremony of a 3-day capacity building workshop for staff of the ministry, Farouq, who was represented by the National Coordinator of NSIP, Dr Umar Bindir, said that, despite sabotage by beneficiaries, the federal government has empowered millions Nigerians, including 12 million Nigerians benefiting from school feeding programme, 1.5 million Nigerians benefiting from N-Power, 6 million people benefiting from the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), among others.
Farouq said that constant monitoring of the NSIP has revealed that some beneficiaries are sabotaging the effort of the federal government, including beneficiaries of the N-Teach programme paying N5, 000 from their N30, 000 monthly stipends to school headmasters to avoid teaching in schools, but having their attendance marked.
She added that some schools inflated the number of pupils in their schools in order to earn more from the school feeding programme, while some schools have also connived with cooks to inflate food prices and then not cook enough food for the pupils.
She revealed that, in the area of monitoring, some of the staff avoid visiting rural communities to monitor the implementation of the NSIP programme, but prefer to stay in the town to enjoy constant electricity.
She urged the participants to strength themselves in the implementation of the NSIP so that those already lifted from poverty won’t fall back into poverty.
She said: “There are allegations by uninformed Nigerians that money is being diverted through the NSIP programme and that nothing is happening. To disabuse their minds, you have to show that N-Power beneficiaries are getting paid N30, 000 every month, that school children are being fed, that GEEP is working, including CCT.
“Many times, I’ve been asked by journalists how many Nigerians we have lifted from poverty since the objective of President Muhammadu Buhari is to lift 100 million Nigerians from poverty in the next 10 years. You have to start from someone to lift someone from poverty, starting with the person acquiring a skill, getting credit or money to practice the acquired skill and then the market.
“It may interest you to know that 1.5 million Nigerian youths are benefiting from the N-Power programme, which provides them the skill to survive in life and set up businesses. 12 million primary one to three pupils are being fed in schools across the federation. 6 million Nigerians have also benefited from the GEEP program, which provides loan to farmers, market women and others.
“The best way to ensure that the people lifted from poverty don’t slide back into poverty is to sustain the programmes, which is one of the reasons for this training. This training is also telling you to be patient with people. You need to know how to interact with people. Quarrel less, network and interact more with people.
“You need to strengthen the ladder for people to be lifted out of poverty and for you to realize the objectives of this training. We have to give kudos to Mr President, the Vice President, the Honourable Humanitarian of Humanitarian Affairs and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry for ensuring that the NSIP was introduced, being implemented to lift Nigerians from excruciating poverty.”