It has come to the notice of the Kogi State Office of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) a publication on an online news site (Kogireports.com) by the Federal legislator representing Ankpa Federal Constituency, Hon Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims for the unfounded claims of marginalizing Ankpa, Omala and Olamaboro Federal Constituency from Kogi East in the published data for the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) to poor households across the 21 LGAs in Kogi State.
As the elected and respected representative of the federal constituency where the listed LGAs rightly belong, it was expected that the right medium to challenge such observation should be the Kogi State office of NSIP and not on the pages of newspaper or social media space.
I, therefore, urge the public particularly the good people of Ankpa, Omala and Olamoboro federal constituency to dismiss the claims contained in the publication as misleading and untrue.
To set the record straight:
1. The Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) is one of the components of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) designed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to cater for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
2. Registration of households was conducted by the the Youth Employment and Support Operation ( YESSO) between 2016 and 2017 under the coordination of State Coordinating Unit (SOCU) through Community-Based Targeting. It is a consortium of World Bank Team, National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), State Office Coordinating Unit (SOCU), National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) under National Social Investment Investment Programme (NSIP).
3. The responsibility of the State office of NSIP is to coordinate and supervise the effective implementation of the programme.
4. Cash payment is handled by National Cash Transfer officials under the close supervision of Kogi SIP Office.
5. Additional slots of 27,116 as released from the National Social Register (NSR) is to cover other LGAs with lower number of beneficiaries which includes Ankpa and Olamaboro while more households are expected to be captured in due course for othe LGAs.
6. The benefiting households were carefully selected from the National Social Register (NSR) following Community-Based Targeting and proxy means testing by the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO).
7. It is noteworthy that though the CCT Programme started since 2016, Kogi State started disbursement in 2017 based on YESSO’s categorization of registered data.
8. Ankpa and Olamaboro LGAs joined the scheme in 2018, long before my appointment as the Focal Person of Kogi SIP in 2019. I was never part of the process nor had any influence in the registration of Households for CCT.
9. For the avoidance of doubt, additional 2,524 and 2,512 new data of beneficiaries for Ankpa and Olamaboro LGAs respectively will be effected in the next phase of payment as stated in the publication. This will bring the total number of beneficiaries for Ankpa LGA to 3365 and Olamaboro LGA to 2778. Same upward review will be applicable to other Local Government areas as the program progresses in line with the modus operandi by YESSO.
It is, therefore, necessary to emphasize that as the incumbent head of the SIP Office, I am committed to extending the programme to more deserving beneficiaries across the 21 LGAs in the best interest of the good people of dear Kogi State and line with the New Direction agenda of Governor Yahaya Bello Administration which is renowned for its unprecedented equity and fairness in distribution of dividends of democracy to Kogi citizens.
On this note, I want to urge the public particularly the good people of Ankpa, Omala and Olamoboro federal constituency to dismiss the claims contained in the publication as misleading and untrue while I do hope the Honourable Member will take the above clarifications as true picture of CCT Programme in the State.
Registration of additional households for the CCT is a continuous exercise by YESSO as more data will be captured from local government councils as the Programme progress.
Thank you.
Signed: Hon. Abdulkareem Onyekehi Suleiman, Focal Person, National Social Investment Programme, Kogi State.
