BY IKECHUKWU IWEAJUNWA
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Umaru Faruk on Thursday, flagged off training of 30 Independent/onboard monitors of it’s social intervention program, known as National Social Investment Program (NSIP).
The Minister said at the program that NSIP was introduced by the Federal Government with a mandate to lift Nigerians out of poverty.
She identified social interventions of the Federal Government to include N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), Home Grown School Feeding Programs (HGSFP), as well as Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program (GEEP).
Faruk disclosed that the training was a stream 2 of the program, where 300 persons would be trained for the program.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Independent Monitors are responsible for monitoring of federal government”s National Social Investment Program in various communities, including schools, households, market clusters to ensure success.
The minister was represented at the occasion by a top official of the Ministry, Mrs Chinenye Nwabuogu.
She said the Federal government had earlier flagged off stream 1 of Independent Monitors in Abuja, where 4454 persons were trained and equipped to carry out their assignment.
While describing the program as a very important component arm of NSIP, the minister hinted on the need for closer and adequate monitoring to ensure success.
She advised the trainees to listen attentively during the training, warned them against engaging in any act of misconduct.
“No intimidation of beneficiaries by the independent monitors would be accepted. You must be fair in your monitoring and ensure that you don’t sabotage the program”, she said.
She noted that both the officials of DSS and EFCC are working with the program organizers, adding that any independent monitor found culpable will be handed over to relevant authorities.
In her remark, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in Imo, Dr. Rabiuo Ibrahim said that the programme being introduced by the Federal Government was designed to uplift the people out of poverty.
She advised the independent monitors to use the opportunity of training to acquire the necessary knowledge that would help them to execute the program.
She assured of government’s readiness to help in the implementation of the program after training to ensure success.
The Commissioner thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his initiative in creating the program aimed at impacting positively in the lives of the people.
She equally thanked the Minister whom she said had brought a lot of change in the Ministry since the program was introduced.
She commended the Gov. Hope Uzodimma for domesticating the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in the state.