No fewer than 28,000 youths across the 18 local government areas of Cross River are been targeted to benefit from the International, Federal and State Governments grants for a period of two years under the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) programme.
Mr Christopher Anake, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, who doubles as the Coordinator, State Operation Coordinating Unit (SUCO) and National Social Safety Coordinaring Office (NASSCO), said that his office was to coordinate this.
He explained that the youths would be expected to carry out semi- skilled labour for the monthly stipends.
He said that other components of the intervention include Agricultural empowerment, Community Development and Soft loans plus grants scheme. Activities for this, is set to commence in Cross River.
“In NASSCO, the President is talking about one million beneficiaries across the country for the Cash Transfer with other social safety net for the very core poor and vulnerable in our community.
“Also in NASSCO, we produce a single register of poor and vulnerable people. We get these people with the assistance of the community leaders and we do an interview of the Community Based Targeting of the poor and vulnerable and CARES will harvest from this single register for their programme,” he said.
He expressed delight that the previous CR program was adjudged as one of the best based on excellent performance and achieved results from the field.
While sensitising the 18 Local Government Chairmen on the benefits of the intervention, Commissioner for Ministry of International Development Cooperation, Inyang Asibong, said that the programmes were one of the interventions attracted by the State government to uplift people from poverty.
According to her, the Cross River State Government led by Gov Ben Ayade is desirous of engaging youths in the state with meaningful activities to keep them busy and afloat.
The Commissioner added that the vulnerable in the state would also be picked from all the communities to benefit from the different programs.
She gave assurance that when fully operational, the programme will uplift and add meaning to the welfare of the youths, widows and vulnerable in the state.
