The Abia State Government has commenced the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Cash Transfer for 25,000 poor and vulnerable persons from the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
The Programme Manager in charge of the disbursement in Abia State, Adanna Oke, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Oke told NAN in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, that the disbursement of the fund started on Tuesday at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
She said that no fewer than 800 beneficiaries from Isiala Ngwa North LGA received their debit cards for cash withdrawal on the first day.
She said beneficiaries from Isialangwa Ngwa North, Umuahia North and Aba South LGAs had so far received theirs, adding that the disbursement was programmed to last for two weeks.
She also said that the beneficiaries would cash the first two tranches at once after getting their cards and use the same card to withdraw the third tranche in their communities.
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Oke described the programme as a Federal Government’s initiative in collaboration with the World Bank and State Governments.
She added: “This programme is called Renewed Hope Cash Transfer.
“It used to be HouseHold Uplifting Programme.
“It is a programme where we supervise the disbursement of stipends to the beneficiaries across the state.
“It is going on simultaneously across the country, but we are responsible for beneficiaries in Abia.”
According to Oke, the list of the beneficiaries was compiled from a social register from the National Cash Transfer Office in Abuja.
She said: “We have the social register, where the names of beneficiaries were sent from NCTO, Abuja to the states.
“The NCTO is responsible for generating the names.
“It also has a State Operating and Coordinating Unit that is responsible for going into the communities to collect relevant data.
“The information they gathered from people will determine the category the respondents will be placed in.
“The data helps the World Bank to decide if a person is actually poor and vulnerable or not.”
Oke commended Governor Alex Otti of Abia State for supporting the programme and assisting indigenes to get their fair share of the RHCT.
She said: “We are grateful for the gift of good governance and we can only pray to God to strengthen the governor.
“We also thank him for all the support we are getting at the state Cash Transfer Unit.
“We also thank the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Blessing Felix, and Special Adviser to the Governor on Policy and Intervention, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, who is also the Focal Person for the National Social Investment Programme in the state, for their support.”
Also speaking in an interview with NAN, the Commissioner urged the beneficiaries to invest their stipends in businesses that would improve their livelihoods.
Felix said: “I came to actually meet with the beneficiaries, where they are receiving their money to improve their livelihoods.
“All of them have a debit card assigned to them by the Federal Government under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
“I’m very happy to see the large turn out of people today to receive their cards.
“It is hoped that the money will provide a lot of support to the beneficiaries, who need financial assistance.
“It is a three tranche programme.
“This is the first two tranches.
“There will be another one before another set of beneficiaries will be selected.”
Some of the beneficiaries, including Blessing Alozie and Monica Mba, who confirmed the receipt of their debit cards, appreciated the Federal Government’s kind gesture and promised to invest the fund in their petty businesses.
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