NAN-HE-32
Stipend
By Douglas Okoro
Abakaliki, Jan. 10, 2017 (NAN) Residents of Abakaliki on Tuesday commended President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government for commencing payment of the N5,000 monthly social security stipend to the indigent members of the society.
The respondents, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN, said the payment was a fulfillment of another of the Buhari’s campaign promises.
The residents urged the authorities to ensure adequate and prudent implementation and stressed the need to ensure that beneficiaries were only those assessed and proved to be indigent.
The residents, who expressed delight at the take off of the programme, advised the government to ensure that it was not hijacked by politicians and used for political patronage.
Mr Paul Ogbonnaya, former membe, Ebonyi House of Assembly, commended the FG for kick-starting the programme and described it as laudable project.
He appealed to those charged with its implementation to ensure that only qualified Nigerians benefitted from the social security programme.
“The President has demonstrated that he is a leader of his words. I think he has further silenced critics of his administration that he is a leader that believes in translating rhetoric to concrete reality.
“I am only appealing that the programme is not hijacked by politicians who will use same to favour their cronies.
“The FG should use the nine pilot states to understudy the workability of the programme implementation,’’ Ogbonnaya said.
He also urged Nigerians to support the programme and policies of the present administration under Buhari for the overall development of the country.
Another resident, Mr Emmanuel Agbo, said the commencement of the implementation was another landmark achievement of the government
He advised government to concentrate on the indigent people at the rural areas and stressed the need to use village and community leaders to determine those qualified to benefit.
“The President has again scored a very vital political goal by kicking off the payment of the N5,000 monthly stipend for selected indigent members of the society.
“The method of selecting qualified persons to benefit should not be based on party affiliation, rather a thorough and unbiased selection process using village and community leaders.
“We are talking about how to help the poorest of the poor to survive and so those saddled with the implementation should search their conscience and do it with the fear of God,’’ Agbo said.
Mrs Eucharia Mbachu, a civil servant, urged government to give priority attention to widows who lacked all forms of social security.
She said the stipend would reduce the sufferings of such group of Nigerians.
“The programme is a laudable one but I am appealing that only indigent widows in our rural villages should be given priority in this scheme.
“Many of them lack all forms of social security and their plights very horrible that such social security will go a long way in alleviating their suffering,’’ Mbachu said.
Mr Chris Elom, a lecturer at the Department of Cooperative Economics, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), said the implementation of social security programme would bring some relief to the beneficiaries.
“The policy will enhance the purchasing power of the benefitting members of the society. But all that I am appealing is that those charged with the implementation should not bring politics into the programme.’’ (NAN)
ODO/FAT/IA
Edited by Fatima Sule/Idris Abdulrahman
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