The Special Adviser to Abia state governor on Social Investment and the State Focal Person on Social Investment Programme (SIP), Chinenye Nwaogu, has given enlightenment on various empowerment programmes available for youths to benefit from.

Nwaogu gave this enlightenment while featuring on ‘focal point’ an AFTELEVISON programme on Tuesday, January 25.

The state Focal Person explained that the social investment programme is a set of programmes put together to address the challenges faced by the poor and vulnerable members of the society.

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He said the programme was the idea of the federal government who got the state government to buy into it and support the ideas and ensure that some basic structures are set up in the state and a Focal Person was set in all states to manage the plight of the poor persons.

Giving the social Investment Programmes available, Nwaogu mentioned;

The N-Power programme as one of the social investment programmes founded by the federal government to reduce the rate of unemployment among youths.

School feeding programme, to enhance the learning capacity of pupils and students in public schools and ensure that they are fed in school for them to concentrate and learn.

He noted that before the federal government introduced the free meal programme in Abia, governor Ikpeazu during his campaign promised to provide one free meal for public primary school students.

“across the country, perhaps Abia is the only state that is feeding from primary 1-6, where the federal government is supporting  from primary 1-3, we are providing meals from primary 4-6”.

The cash transfer programme which targets the very poor in rural communities, who are selected through a world bank process where they go to selected communities and engage all the stakeholders who will select the persons to benefit from the programme. They receive N5,000 every month to support feeding and livelihood.

Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme for the Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMSE). Beneficiaries are given loan with minimal interest and can pay back at a very convenient period of time.

The programme was created and is funded by the federal government to encourage a lot of people to go into entrepreneurship and ensure that those already in it are maintained to reduce unemployment , Nwaogu noted.

He added that Abia has received several awards from the Federal Government and World Bank for managing  the programmes effectively in the state.

Speaking on how the programmes are being check mated especially in ensuring that beneficiaries of the N-Power programme report to their primary place of assignment, Nwaogu said;

“ we have a set of independent monitors appointed by the world bank and federal government. We also have civil society groups who also monitor the programme.”

He noted that some defaulting beneficiaries have been sanctioned and urged members of the public to report cases of absenteeism happening around them.

Speaking on the infrastructural projects of governor Ikpeazu, Nwaogu noted that in 2015, there was challenges of inaccessibility in Aba which affected a lot of economic activities. However the Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration has tried to open Aba and is still working to boost economic activities with the collective resources of Abians.

He noted that the governor’s concern is not on the number of roads done but to ensure that quality infrastructures are given to Abians.

He assured that governor Ikpeazu feels and understands the issues affecting Abians and is working to tackle them.

On the quality of person Abia needs come 2023, he noted that the state needs someone who has the Capacity to mobilize people and resources, someone who understands the modern day economy and who can also continue the projects and visions of the governor.

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