In preparation for the full take off of the federal government interventions and social Investments programmes in Benue State, governor Samuel Ortom yesterday flagged off a 4-day training on community based targetingm for identification of the poor and vulnerable.
The training which was organised by National Social Safety NET-Coordinating Office (NASSCO), office of the vice president in partnership with the Benue State government was to identify and empower the poorer among the poor to be self reliant.
Represented by the deputy governor, Eng. Benson Abounu, the governor charged participants to pay adequate attention as they go through the rudiments of the programme so as to be able to empower themselves at the end of the program through acquiring soft loans from the Bank of Industry, already established in the state few weeks ago to start a useful venture.
According to the governor, the social investments programme being implemented was part of the government’s campaign promises both at the federal and state levels to empower the less privilege in the society, adding that the programme is in three parts, which include Conditional Cash Transfer, home grown school feeding as well as investments or empowering the poor so as to go into small scale businesses.
In an address, the national cordinator NASSCO, Peter Papka, represented by Management Information System Specialist, Idris Mohammed Who explained that the programme which was to commenced only in 9 local governments of the state was to train community members to identify the poorer among them, sensitised and moblised them to key into the programme for a better tomorrow.