Esindu Jacobs
The Federal Government, has lifted no fewer than 500 vulnerable persons in 15 local government areas in Anambra State.
The distribution of the 50,000 naira to the Internally Displaced Persons, was flagged off at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development center in Awka, Anambra State.
The Federal Government’s assisted Support Grant was to the Vulnerable Households affected by Banditry and Internally Displaced Persons Programme.
The individuals were selected from 15 Local Government Areas of the state with high level of displaced persons due to natural disasters and attacks by bandits .
The local government areas were : Ihiala, Nnewi North, Nnewi South Orumba North, Orumba South, Anambra East and Anambra West.
Others included Aguata, Ayamelum, Dunukofia, Oyi, Njikoka, Idemili South, Idemili North and Awka South
The locals, interacted with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Investment Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadia Umar Farouk.
She said, for Anambra State to benefit more from the Federal Government Social Investment Programmes, the people needed to key into all the support programmes.
“It is important to note that through the office of Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affair, the Federal Government has done much in terms of intervention, in terms of looking into the plights of the vulnerable ones in our society.
” I am talking of the cases of confirmed, the people with disabilities, the elderly, the displaced persons and victims of banditry.
“It is always important for you to come into the system, understand what the system is talking about then you stand in a better position to ask for more but when you do not come into the system.
“You do not get closer to see what is going on, it will be difficult for us to understand what is going on and even to understand or ask for what are those things that we expect to get from government as a result of this most of us have been cutting ourselves out of some of the things the Federal Government has made for us”.
The minister was represented by her Special Adviser on Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Ngene.
The Minister, however, regretted the level of insurgency and banditry as well as flooding in Nigeria which according to her, had also resulted to massive destruction of basic amenities in many areas.
Speaking, the Managing Director, Anambra State Emergency Agency, Chukwudi Onyejekwe, represented by the Agency’s Executive Secretary, Chief Paul Odenigbo pleaded with the Federal Government to increase the number of beneficiaries for Anambra in subsequent bail-outs.
” Anambra has a lot of social menace in its communities, so, it will be laudable to increase the number of beneficiaries in the state.”he said
