7th October, 2016
The Federal Government is to open a register for the poor and vulnerable persons, Hajia Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Interventions, said on Friday.
Uwais made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The special adviser said that the register would promote due process and reduce the number of vulnerable and poor people in the country.
“I urge community leaders to be sincere and transparent in selecting genuine poor and vulnerable people in their areas.
“They live among the people, so we believe they can help us out in identifying the real people that need government’s assistance.
“We will still meet with the state focal persons on the conditions for the national cash transfer,’’ Uwais said.
Also, Mr Peter Papker, the Coordinator, National Social Safety Net, told NAN that the national cash transfer fund was aimed at reducing extreme poverty in the society.
Papker said that it would also bridge the gap of inequality between the rich and the poor.
“Five thousand naira has been earmarked for each vulnerable and poor person per household.
“At the end of the exercise, the living conditions of the people will improve,” Papker told NAN.