In order to bring relief to the victims of the flood in Isheri, Ifo Local Government of Ogun State, the Federal Government is set to give relief packages to victims while plans are on the way to help revive trade and livelihoods of businesses affected by the flood. As well as create new job opportunities through the targeted Adire Scheme intervention.
The FG, through the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu during her visit to the state on Friday night where she was received by the Governor of Ogun state His Excellency Dapo Abiodun, she said the visit would afford her the opportunity to provide succor to the victims affected by flood, discuss the various social safety net programs of the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the various ways the state can key in. It will also afford her the opportunity to receive the update state’s social register which feeds in to the National social register for ogun and will allow ogun beneficiaries to start receiving their conditional cash transfers like their counterparts in other states.
“My mission is simple, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is concerned about the flooding and situation that have affected parts of Ogun State and Lagos State. I’m here to provide humanitarian support and response to those who have been affected by flooding.
“Of course, I have seen videos and pictures of the areas that have been affected by flood, we will be there first thing in the morning tomorrow to see things for ourselves and of course take good record of the number of persons that have been affected and how we can immediately support them. We came with a lot of relief materials which will be given to them. While we work on the long-term goal of building their livelihood.
“The second purpose why I’m here is to ensure that we can have an update Ogun State social register, which feeds into the National Social Register so they can begin to receive the conditional cash transfer which has already started in several other states.
“The Governor set up an inter-ministerial team that has been working in-person verification of beneficiaries of this conditional cash transfer, and they have been working with the National team to vet the register and ensure that they have BVN, NIN and they can verify their houses; this will enable payment to go out at once to beneficiaries from Ogun State,” Edu said.
The Minister further reiterated that the Ministry has mapped out immediate intervention in the state, which according to her included support for market women and men, saying that it is part of the interventions intended to take about 50 Million people out of poverty within the next 42 months.
“Beyond this, we have been able to carefully map out immediate intervention that will be carried out in Ogun State. Some are designed specifically for Ogun State, like the ADIRE scheme which we want to support women and men to produce ADIRE from the inception to final products that can be sold in international markets and of course link them up to where they can sell; this is part our plans to lift them from poverty.
“We also have the GEEP Programme, which is market and trader money as well as farmers’ money. Remember that GEEP is a zero-interest rate loan to these persons, but the grant for vulnerable groups will also be supporting a programme and scheme that has already been implemented here in Ogun State.
From ogun, the team will move to Lagos to see areas affected by the flood where we can intervene too. “We thank the Governor and Ogun people for the warm reception, and we promise we won’t fail them” she said
