No fewer than 5,000 vulnerable persons, among them People With Disabilities, PWDs, in Cross Rivers State had a joyous Christmas as they received N20,000 grant each from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
At the flag off of conditional grants transfer for poor and vulnerable groups in the state, recipients thanked President Bola Tinubu for the gesture and for remembering the poor and vulnerable people.
The event, which was the first of its kind in the state, got the beneficiaries extremely excited, especially the physically challenged persons, who were part of the event in Calabar.
This is coming on the heels of other packages provided by the President to provide relief for Nigerians.
At the last count over 3.5 million households have received the Renewed Hope conditional cash transfer, with another 4.5 million being enrolled and banked presently at various communities across the country.
Meanwhile, the payment of the backlog for NPower Beneficiaries is ongoing with one month payment for almost 400,000 beneficiaries already completed ahead the Yuletide season.
Grants for Very Poor and Vulnerable groups have been paid to citizens in Kogi, Cross River, Lagos, Imo and Akwa Ibom states.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu said the one-off grant was part of President Tinubu’s determination to lift vulnerable Nigerians from poverty across the country.
“Here in Cross River, we are flagging off the grant for vulnerable groups in Cross River. So far, we’ve been able to reach 5,000 very poor and vulnerable persons at the grassroots in this state with plans to expand in the coming year.
“We have checked and confirmed that these people are very poor and they deserve to benefit from the scheme in line with President Tinubu’s commitment to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty in 2024 through the various social protection programmes” the Minister said.
She urged the beneficiaries to invest the grant in profitable economic ventures.
“These monies are not given to you for you to spend on drinks or do whatever that is out of place, but to start a petty trade or boost your petty trade and make better profits to sustain your families.
“These monies can be used to start up little businesses. You can use these grants to boost your trade, and that will help with sustainability. These grants are deliberate acts by the Federal Government to pull people out of poverty,” the minister reiterated.
Dr. Edu promised that those qualified will benefit from government’s social intervention programmes being implemented through her ministry and other relevant agencies.
Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, who flagged off the event and presented the cheques to beneficiaries, commended President Tinubu for championing the cause of the poor and prioritising the welfare of the citizens.
Senator Otu urged the beneficiaries to put the grants into proper use. He said the “Grants for the Vulnerable” Programe will undoubtedly make a significant impact on the lives of individuals in the state.
Wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Mrs Emouwan Otu thanked the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her passion in supporting the poor and the vulnerable.
“Her compassion and dedication to our nation’s well-being have been invaluable. The President and his wife both exemplify true leadership and empathy,” she said.
“I would like to extend my appreciation to my amiable Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, for her tireless efforts in coordinating the implementation of this program in our state and across the nation. We are proud of her hard work and dedication to duty.
“Your collective efforts have inspired hope and brought much-needed relief to those who need it most, especially in a time like this.
“I implore you the beneficiaries to put to good use the grant given to you so that in no distant time, we can all begin to live better lives”, Rev. Mrs Otu said.
