By Sulaiman Onyeama
Sequel to the ongoing National Social Register (NSR) verification on the thirty six states and FCT of Nigeria ongoing by the Hon. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Beta Edu, Enugu State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) led by the Coordinator Barrister Joy Blossom Eneh and the representative of the Minister lady Agatha Henny Atetan of New Project Planet (NPP) paid a courtesy call to the SSG Professor Chidiebere Onyia in his Abuja Building office Enugu in connection with the States Social Register (SSR) verification exercise.*
Prof. Chidi Onyia welcomed the team and expressed the importance of Social Register as a vital tool for serious minded government as it will enhance proper planning for minning various interventions.
Professor Onyia said it will sink well with all if the actually targeted persons were captured and verified as this will be a determinant for Social Protection policies.
He is of the opinion that due to the fact that political actors tend to politicize everything the good intentions behind such programmes are blown away thus not losing the primary aim.
The SSG advised that work should be credible and valuable to the State’s Social Register as regards the purposeful intentions and possible involvement.
Professor Chidiebere Onyia appreciated the exercise and charged the ENSOCU Team to render prompt assistance to the Hon. Minister where needed for the success of the exercise.
Speaking at the meeting, the Hon. Commissioner for Children Gender and Social development Mrs Ngozi Enih disclosed how the Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah led administration is very much committed to eradicate poverty in the state.
Mrs Ngozi Enih disclosed that a line up of various programmes were already being embarked upon by the state government, like Agricultural loans to women and farmers, Technical support programme for young people just to mention a few.
In her view it was high time people living with disabilities, motherless children, Rehabilitation centres etc be given a sense of belonging in the generation of data for the poor and vulnerable as they fall into this category.
In her speech the Hon. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction ably represented by Agatha Henny Atetan of New Project Planet hailed the leadership of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah especially with policies and programmes he has laid down to eradicate poverty in Enugu state.
She said her coming to Enugu was divine, while she assured the state officials that her duty will reflect diligentce and effectiveness as she is willing to ensure that the work she has come to do goes well in line with the mapped out guidelines.
The State Coordinator for State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) Barrister Joy Blossom Eneh expressed her gratitude to the State government for the warm reception, the educative and informing interaction she enjoyed.
Barrister Eneh disclosed that the methodology applied in genrerating the data of the Poor, Vulnerable House Holds (PVHHs) is community based and the seventeen (17) local government areas has been touched though but not yet saturated with a total of one hundred and fifty four thousand, two hundred and seventy six (154,276) as SSR while the number of individuals is six hundred and nine thousand one hundred and eight (609,108), wards covered is two hundred and sixty (260) wards and a total of four thousand sixty seven (4,067) communities.
She expressed feelings of Joy as the ongoing verification is running simultaneously with expansion of the State’s Social Register which ofcourse is part of the National Social Safety Nets Coordination Office (NASSCO)
Barrister Joy Eneh assured the state Officials and the Hon. Minister of the zeal her team has developed over time as they engage with the rural dwellers to ensure that the data gotten is credible.
