Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
A lawmaker representing Obokun Constituency in Osun State, Hon Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has described the commencement of the Federal Government Social Investment Programmes, which include Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), school feeding, soft loan for artisan, traders and market women through Government Enterprise and Empowerment and N-power as a catalyst for economic growth.
Oyintiloye who made the submission during a chat with journalists said 2017 holds enormous promise for Nigerians, not only that President Muhammadu Buhari is living up to its campaign promises but implementing policies that will have direct impact in the life of the common man and the most vulnerable.
The lawmaker noted that the payment of N5, 000 monthly stipends to one million poor and the most vulnerable in the country through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) in the Social Investment Programmes, SIP as well as implementation of N-Power programme which will make several thousand Nigerian youths to be paid N30,000 respectively.
While lauding the procedures for data collection and disbursement of the fund especially in the states, where the programmes had taken off, Oyintiloye said Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) – the platform that hosts and validates payments for all government’s social intervention programmes will boost the transparency of the process and openness of the Federal Government initiatives.
Describing the injection of such fund into the economy as a boost to the social life of the beneficiary communities, families, individuals and by extension, the nation at large, the state assembly pointed that the initiative will have ripples effects on economic activities.
“These policies which will have multiplies effect on the life of millions household which will improve purchasing power and boost exchange of commodities”
Oyintiloye however called for effective monitoring of the programmes in such a way that the goal to empower Nigerians and bring them out of economic doldrums will not be jeopardised.
The lawmaker urged other states in the that were yet to benefit from the programme to work with stakeholders and build a time tested (Community Based Targeting, CBT) Social Register that will identify the most vulnerable and poorest Nigerians so that they can be included in subsequent phases of the implementations of the programmes.
