FG Inaugurates 46 Independent Monitors in Ebonyi

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government yesterday began the distribution of engagement letters and monitoring devices to 46 independent monitors in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, reiterated the commitment of the government in ensuring that the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) are adequately monitored for effective service delivery.

The minister was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Raphael Obi.

She urged the independent monitors to diligently report on the various social investment programmes targeted at lifting vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty in line with President Muhammadu Buhari aspirations.

She said the devices are equipped with an application that will be used to report on monitoring activities of the trained independent monitors and are locally made in Nigeria by an indigenous company.

According to her, “The application, which we call the Social Investment Management Information System (SIMIS), is a mobile and web-based application designed to monitor the National Social Investment Programme.”

The independent monitors will follow up on government Social Investment Programmes, including N-Power, National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

Each independent monitor will be paid a monthly stipend of N30,000 and will be expected to meet up to 80 per cent of their deliverables monthly to be eligible for their stipend.

In his remark, the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, who was represented by the Commissioner for Human Capital Development, Mrs. Ann Abigwe, applauded the minister for the social investment programmes currently in operation in the state for having impacted tremendously on the lives of the vulnerable people in Ebonyi State. She urged the independent monitors to remain committed and ensure accurate data collation in the discharge of their duties.