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| Some beneficiaries of the CCT at GSS Mugulum Chip Pankshin South celebrating |
Plateau SIP continues payment of N20,000
to beneficiaries under Conditional Cash Transfer in Central Zone.
By Joseph A. Adudu
April 17, 2020
The Social Investment
Programme (SIP), Plateau State has continued the payment of N20,000 to beneficiaries under the
Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), in Central zone of the state comprising five
local government areas.
Speaking to
journalists at Government Secondary School Mugulum, Chip Pankshin South
local government area, (one of the payment centres with over 500 households),
the Executive Assistant to Governor and Focal Person, Social Investment Program
Plateau state, Dr. Sumaye Hamza said that the exercise kicked off on April 6,
2020 in line with President Muhammad Buhari's directive and will benefits
61,000 households across the state.
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| 85 Years old Mama Nadyen Peter, a beneficiary |
She further
cleared the erroneous impression held by some people who have mistakenly taken
the CCT exercise for COVID -19 palliative measures stressing that the CCT
program has been ongoing for two years. "The CCT is an intervention
program under the SIP and has been ongoing. This is completely different from
COVID-19 palliative. The palliative intervention would come subsequently
through the state government but this particular exercise is targeting the
poorest of the poor and the vulnerable people in our communities in all the 17
Local Government Areas", Dr. Hamza said.
She added the
total lockdown would not hinder the exercise as they hope to continue the
payment to beneficiaries in Southern Zone next week. "The disbursement of
the funds will not be suspended even during the total lockdown. We will
continue the payment in the Southern Zone so that people are not subjected to
additional stress. We want to see that we ease tension by all means", she
said.
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| Some beneficiaries of the CCT at GSS Mugulum Chip Pankshin South, one of the payment centers |
On the rumours
making the rounds that the Payment was selective, she said all those that got
paid had their details captured in the Social Register which is used through
community targeting and has a participatory, inclusive and very credible
approach in selecting the beneficiaries. "The community members themselves
are part of the selection of the beneficiaries who are poorest of the poor
within the communities. The process is very fair and balanced way of approach.
If there was wrong targeting, the World Bank would have dropped the names
because they subjected the list for further validation", Dr. Hamza
said.
African Drum witnessed large turn out of
beneficiaries at the center who were quite orderly and also observed procedures
and protocols of personal hygiene. All the beneficiaries were in frenzy mood
and were seen dancing and jubilating around the centre. 85 years old
Naphat Debgu and 75 years old Nadyen Peter were among the beneficiaries who
spoke African Drum and highly commended the government for initiating the
laudable program targeting the poorest of the poor.
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| Dr. Hamza (r), Mrs. Hilda Bueyen (l) head of CCT Unit |
Recall that the
outbreak of the COVID-19 stalled the payment of N5,000 to beneficiaries of CCT from January 2020 to March 2020.
However, in his magnanimity, President Buhari directed that the beneficiaries
be paid four months (January to April) cumulatively, which saw beneficiaries
receiving N20,000 each.
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