NASSCO, World Bank in Collaboration with SOCU Intensify Public Enlightenment of Communities on NIM, NSR Integration in Calabar South

Iloke Egbe 

Some officials from National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office Abuja, and representative of the World Bank including Staff of the State Coordinating Unit SOCU have visited some communities in Calabar South to ascertain the ongoing field activities regarding the update of National Social Register and integration of National Indentification Number into household data of poor and vulnerable persons.

Addressing the people of Musaha Community, NASSCO representative and Head of Operations SOCU Cross River, Mr Godwin Ador explained the essence of the visit which centered on the need for communities to believe in Government programmes, policies and to participate actively to enable them benefit maximumly.

Mr. Ador reference the Rapid Response Register that a lot of people are benefiting from, including the Cash transfer that a lot of people are already benefiting from, urging them to speak about it successes to their neighbours and not to keep it to themselves making it look like Government policies and programmes are not empirical from it's concept or working.

According to Mr. Ador, Federal Government doesn't want related names to create confusion during payment which may cause genuine individuals to missed their opportunities to benefit from interventions therefore, the request for NIM integration is for the good of every stakeholder. That going forward every interventions must be accompanied with NIM details and it's free from start to finish as Government takes responsibility for the cost implications.

In his contributions, the Councilor for the Ward 12, Hon. Moses Edet expressed excitement on the visit by the join team stating that his people feel neglected by many interventions which there are not made to benefit from, adding that the number of beneficiaries are too negligible that the essence of the programme is almost lost completely given the number of persons that have made applications.

He appeal to the Federal Government to intervene in the gulley erosion that has become a disaster and has claimed many lives and property's running into billions as the community have lost a whole market, buildings and landmass spaning over 1000 km in length with a depth of  19ft and 12ft wide. According to Hon. Eyo the community also needs health Centre, portable Water and improved electricity supplies.

The same feedback was received from  Richard Henshaw in Ward 8, while in Anderson Ward 4 the Councilor of the Ward, Hon. Williams Cobham also thank the team for a thoughtful visit adding that it will be better if there is a feedback mechanism, because people are benefiting, but names of beneficiaries should be published for people to know who the beneficiaries are. 

According to him there is a lot of under dealings in cash transfer as beneficiaries are not allowed to withdraw the money at their convenience, a times you can't withdraw the money even when the money is in the account and after a while the money is no longer found in the account and the affected doesn't know how to seek redress on the matter, while urging investigation and redress for the affected. He appeal that the number of beneficiaries should be increased to accommodate more persons.

Highlights of visit were enrollment update by enumerators, Nim integration, questions and answers including group photograph.

Other communities visited include and visited were Anantigha Ward, Efut Ikot Ekpe and in all the Wards the Councilors mobilized their people including chiefs to receive the team and also participated actively in the exercise.