C'R NIN Integration Sensitization Exercise witness Low Turnout in most communities

Iloke Egbe 

In an effort to include more beneficiaries into the State Social Register with current and verifiable data, the State Operations Coordinating Unit-SOCU in collaboration with the National Social Safety-nets Coordinating Office Nassco Abuja is currently Sensitizing Cross Riverians from one community to the other across the State to update the State Social Register with current status of beneficiaries including National identity number.

The exercise which is aimed at advancing the Federal Government Social inclusion programme targeting 30 million Nigerians  to be supported financially using an empirical approach to enhance sustainability of social economic empowerment and opportunities amongst the vulnerable segments of the society. 

In most of the communities visited, some of the  residents complained about repeated and related exercises without payment in respect of the exercise and are tired of routine updates exercises, while appealing to the Federal Government to please ensure that more people benefit from the cash transfer programme. That most of them are farmers who suspend their  farming activities and wait for the officials to arrive for the exercise but have not in any way benefited from any. 

In an interview with some of the residents, some expressed mixed feelings about the payment systems that it is taking too long, that it's more profitable for them to concentrate with their farm work or business than waiting for the Government programme which they are not sure of its implementation process. In his comments, the State coordinator SOCU Mr Bassey Effiong Bassey Effiong expressed satisfaction that more stakeholders are now accepting to support the scheme courtesy of the sensitization programme.

The exercise involves enumerators updating data of existing and new beneficiaries to include national identity numbers, Bank account details, and current status of each member of the household in respect of their age, sex and health background.

The community development officers in Obubra Mr Edim Ayo and that of Abi Mrs Susan Magnus took time to educate stakeholders on the benefits of the exercise which is to help the government plan to respond proactively to emerging social challenges through the adaptive social protection systems.

The exercise is taking place in the 18 LGA, 196 wards and over five thousand communities across the three Senatorial Districts, while SOCU Staff are supervising the enumerators at all communities.