By Ankeli Emmanuel (Sokoto)
The federal government through the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farooq, on Monday, distributed engagement letters to no fever than 167 trained independent monitors of the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) in Sokoto State.
Presenting the letters to all monitors, the Minister represented by Alhaji Bashir Nura Alkali, a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, reiterated that the N-SIP was created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 as one of his numerous strategies of lifting Nigerians out of poverty.
According to the Minister some of those interventions included, Job creation programme, N-Power, National Home Grown Feeding Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer as well as the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme amongst others.
While stressing that they flagged off the training of 5000 Independent Monitors for the N-SIP in Abuja on Thursday 4th February 2021, they have come to distribute letters and devices that are equipped with Applications that will be used to monitors activities of the independent monitors.
"The Application, which we call the Social Investment Management Information System (SIMIS) is a mobile and web-based application designed for monitoring the National Social Investment Programme.
"Using this Application, the Ministry sees a real-time report of activities of the Independent Monitors on the field. We can view reports submitted and also see NSIP performance indicators by State".
The Minister who disclosed that each independent Monitor will be paid a stipend of 30,000 added however that they must perform up to 80 per cent to enable beneficiaries to qualify for such beginning from this June 2021 to June 2022.
She also added that "This will enable the Ministry to detect areas where there are challenges and also provide greater visibility of activities happening in the field. Essentially, it will help us deliver k. Our mandate and contribute to Mr President's vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty". Sadiya Farouq noted.
Responding to the gesture, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal represented by the State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Hajiya Kulu Abdullahi Sifawa thanked the federal government for such a laudable step towards lifting Nigerians from poverty.
Tambuwal further added however that there is the need to do more to help reach the remotest places.
On his part, a House of Representative Member from Sokoto' State, Hon Abdullahi Saleme debunked the erroneous assumption that the programmes were meant for only APC loyalists.
According to him, Nigerians from all works of life applied via online a d selections were done based on merits and not any party affiliation.
He however appealed to the beneficiaries in Sokoto State to justice the confidence reposed in them. NNL.