From Maiharaji Altine Salah
Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu on Thursday flagged off the disbursement of over N500 million to more than 4,000 beneficiaries under the KB CARES programme.
Under the social transfer programme, 1,950 beneficiaries will get N20,000 bi-monthly transfer for a period of 24 months.
He said NG-CARES was a tripartite intervention programme among the World Bank, Federal and state governments.
According to Bagudu, the programme was conceived to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic occasioned by the lockdowns that followed the pandemic.
The governor said that the lockdowns made the citizens of the world stay indoors without being capable of engaging in any meaningful socio-economic activities.
Bagudu said that the programme was divided into many parts with a lot of farmers provided with free assorted fertilizers, inputs, chemicals and other items.
The governor also said that the event on Thursday was specifically for the launch of two main types of support.
Bagudu said that under the social transfer scheme, no fewer than 1,9500 will be given from N100,000 to N 120,000, once.
He said that the funds for this category were already in commercial banks across the state and disbursement had commenced.
Similarly, under the livelihood support grants, the same number of beneficiaries will also benefit.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Dr. Budget and Economic Planning, Abba Sani Kalgo commended the commitment of Bagudu towards ensuring the successful implementation of the programme.
He also noted that the governor has remained unwaveringly committed towards improving the socio-economic life of the people of the state.
According to him , following the flag off of the program over 400 million naira will be disbursed to 1,950 while other micro projects were carried in communities in 13 local Government Areas.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Entrepreneurship , Dr Muhammad Kabiru Kamba also shed more light on the program to beneficiaries.
The Kebbi State CARES programme Coordinator, Rukayya Muhammad Bawa, also lauded the uncommon resolve of the governor to make life easier for the generality of the people of the state.
She thanked the governor for giving maximum support for the implementation of the program geared towards making life easier for the vulnerable people, people with disability , women and to improve small scale business.
The District Head of Kangiwa ,Mai Arewan Kangiwa,Alhaji Yusuf Zango Kangiwa, thanked the governor for his compassion and care to the common man.
He also appreciated the recent distribution of fertilizer to farmers in the area by government saying that the fertilizer has really spurred them to increase agricultural production .
‘ The free distribution for fertilizer has increased production in our area’, he said.
The representative of the Speaker, Kebbi State House of Assembly, Hon Lawal Haruna and the Chairman of Arewa local Government Area, Hon Sani Aliyu Tela expressed delight with the commencement of social transfer and disbursement of grants in the local Government Area.
The Chairman particularly thanked the governor for the gesture done to the people of the area for the launching of KB CARES and other developmental projects carried out by the Bagudu led administration in the local Government Area.
Some of the beneficiaries,Zuwaira Saidu, Usman Ibrahim and Asmau Bello thanked Governor Bagudu for improving their living condition .
