The State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) Programme would assist 1,628 vulnerable and underprivileged people in Abia.
The information was revealed at Umuahia by Sir Donatus Okorie, State Commissioner for Cooperatives and Rural Development.
Sir Donatus Okorie thanked the Federal Government for starting the program, which he said will assist to boost rural economies, as he opened a two-day step-down training for 51 local government facilitators.
The governor of Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu, was also thanked profusely by the commissioner for his role in ensuring that residents of Abia were included.
“With our elementary knowledge of economics, we know that the Programme will have multiplier effects on rural economies,” he said.
“This Program is special and impactful, and would help to create effective demands, given that the beneficiaries will be empowered to pay for goods and services they needed.
He praised the program and added, “I’m excited that Abia is benefiting from this excellent program.
“This is what democracy and good government are all about, and I want it to be extended beyond the initial term to reach a wider number of recipients.
It gives the vulnerable rural population a sense of belonging and contributes to the democratic dividend.
“I expect that as the initiative moves on, there will be more Abia beneficiaries.”
Therefore, the commissioner advised the trainees to seize the chance to support the state’s successful implementation of the program.
Mr. Ejem Kalu, the Head of Abia CARES and Secretary of the State Steering Committee, spoke at the ceremony and emphasized the importance of the training for the success of the initiative’s implementation in the state.
According to Kalu, the initiative in Abia was carried out through six different delivery channels, including Cash Transfer, Labor Intensive Units, FADAMA, Social Development Agencies, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Government Enterprise Empowerment Program.
Cares in the State was created by the Federal and State Governments in cooperation with the World Bank “to lessen the painful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disadvantaged Nigerians,” according to the Abia CARES Coordinator.
Head of the Abia State Cash Transfer Unit, Mr. Okeziem Nwoko, insisted during his remarks that the program was created to increase the knowledge of the implementation protocol among the Local Government Cash Transfer Facilitators, Desk Officers, and Grievance Redress Officers.
A variety of Trainees stated that the Training was essential for them to fully comprehend the implementation process and guarantee its effectiveness in general.