Plateau SIP complies with President Buhari's directives as 61,000 Households under Conditional Cash Transfer receives N20,000 each.



Plateau SIP complies with President Buhari's directives as 61,000 Households under Conditional Cash Transfer receives N20,000 each.
By Joseph A. Adudu, April 06, 2020.



The Social Investment Programme (SIP), Plateau State has started the payment of lump sum of N20,000 (covering four months) to each Household of the 61,000 of the poorest of the poor under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT, a component of SIP). 
 
Dr Sumaye Hamza with a benificiary
Speaking to journalists today at ECWA Transferred School, Zabolo Bassa LGA (one of the centres for payment), the Executive Assistant to Governor and Focal Person of SIP Plateau State, Dr. Sumaye Hamza said the exercise was in compliance to President Muhammadu Buhari's directives. According to her, "The beneficiaries were supposed to have been paid January and February but because of the COVID-19 pandemic which is a global phenomenon, were unable to get paid.



“So, Mr. President in his magnanimity felt it wise and appropriate for them to be paid January, February, March and April, that is four months making a total of N20,000 per household".

Dr. Hamza said the payment was going simultaneously across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state adding that the Zabolo centre had over 200 beneficiaries. African Drum saw the beneficiaries ( who are mostly aged including handicaps) sitting in group of 20s and 30s  and sought to know the reason for such arrangement, Hamza explained that the arrangement was deliberate in other to maintain the social distance in line with government directives on some of the preventive measures of the dreaded COVID-19.
Dr Hamza further hinted that the Conditional Cash Transfer of the Social Investment Programme has been ongoing in Plateau State for two years. "At the beginning, we had only six Local Government but as of today, all the 17 Local Government are on board and these poorest of the poor have been receiving N5,000 per household", she said.
 
A group of beneficiaries waiting to receive their pay
According to her, the households were selected using a very transparent World Bank and global acceptable methodology through community based, targeting team stressing that the poorest of the poor were selected from the various communities in conjunction with members of the communities and trained CBT personnel. “We developed what is called 'Social Register' and the Social Register was further validated. It is from this register that the names of beneficiaries were compiled.

“Those who passed through the Proxy Mean Test (PMT), were genuinely poor people and in need. All the people you are seeing here are on the Social Register.


“ It's not that because it's government money, it would just be given out without procedure. No, this exercise is being carried out through a well coordinated process from which the names of beneficiaries was generated", she said.
Dr Hamza said that the CCT is a package that goes with a lot of livelihood training. "You can see the illustration of hand washing using a locally made water tap. This is part of the training they got even before the outbreak of COVID-19.
Mrs Yau Adamu, one of the benificiaries
“There are other livelihood enhancement trainings such as economic empowerment which the beneficiaries do on their own. They engage in contributions, save, circulate and start petty trading.

“Most of them are self reliant now because they a business that would add value to the well-being of their families".



She added that presently in some of the cluster groups in 6 Local Government, there is a saving of over N25 from the little contribution the groups have been making saying that in no distance time, their economic status would definitely change for good.
Also speaking to African Drum, the Head of Unit, CCT Plateau state, Mrs. Hilda Bueyen appreciated government support but solicited for more especially in the area on means of transportation to argument the vehicle given to the Unit by the national office.
Yakub Attah, a blind benificiary
Some of the beneficiaries, who are blind, (Yakub Attah, a father of 5, and Yau Adamu, a mother of two) who spoke to African Drum expressed happiness and showered encomiums on President Buhari for the laudable initiative. They also appreciated the efforts of the Focal person and members of her team for ensuring effective implementation of the scheme in the state and enhanced their economic status as bread winners of their families



The event was witnessed by officials from the National Office from the Ministry of Humanitarian Service, Disaster Management and Social Development and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)  

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