The Federal Government has urged independent monitors of National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) to display diligence, sincerity and sense of responsibility while discharging their national assignment.
Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, made the call in Enugu during a training of independent monitors for NSIP Programme in Enugu State on Thursday.
Farouq, represented by a Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr Charles Anaelo, said that the ministry would not hesitate to take any independent monitor off the programme, if found violating the terms of engagement.
“We are also working with security agencies like the Department of State Security; Economic and Financial Crime Commission; and the ICPC to monitor all schemes under the NSIP programme as well as the independent monitors.
“If you are found engaging in any form of malpractice or fraud, you will be handed over to them for investigation and prosecution.
“I, therefore, urge you to carry out this task with a sense of patriotism as we all work towards the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years,’’ she said.
The minister also assured of continued training and guidance of the independent monitors for them to do effective monitoring within the communities they are assigned.
According to her, about 13 million citizens across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are benefiting from the Federal Government Intervention through NSIP.
“Today, we are training independent monitors that will monitor the programme at the community level.
“The independent monitors will be assigned to monitor programme beneficiaries within their locality in schools, households, and market clusters with the focus of ensuring that the primary objectives of these programmes are achieved,” the minister said.
Speaking, Mr Isaac Onukwuba, the state Director of National Orientation Agency, said that the agency had been in the fore-front of enlightening the rural dwellers on the immense benefit of the NSIP programme when utilised well.
“Apart from the rural sensitisation on the benefit of the programme; we also monitor how the programme is carried out with our officers working within council areas,’’ Onukwuba said.
Declaring the training opened, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi appreciated President Buhari for initiating such a laudable programme meant to reach the vast majority of the poor and rural dwellers.
Ugwuanyi, represented by the NSIP State Focal Person, Dr Innocent Ogbonna, said that since the inception of the NSIP programme, Enugu State residents had been benefitting in various schemes in under the programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NSIP was created by President Buhari in 2016 with the mandate of up lifting citizens out of poverty through a number of social interventions.
This intervention include NPOWER – Job Creation Programme, National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. (NAN)
