Come September, Edo State Government will provide N20,000 monthly to about 314,000 households comprised of people living below the acceptable poverty line, believed to have been captured in an authentic, credible database that details the essence of social registration.
This was disclosed at a press briefing held on Wednesday in the conference room of the Ministry of Communications and Orientation, Benin City, by the Hon. Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon. Chris Nehikhare, and the Special Adviser on Media Projects to Edo State Governor, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, at the end of the State’s Exco meeting.
It would be recalled that a few weeks ago, the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, met with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) who were at Edo State Government House in protest about petrol subsidy removal and its resultant spiral effects impacting adversely on the citizenry, and Godwin Obaseki committed to NLC that Edo Government would provide N500,000 monthly from its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the poorest of the poor.
“I am pleased to report that after that commitment, we have to go back to our database because we have created the database of the poorest of the poor prior to this time by Edo State Government, and that database, is being revised, reviewed, revalidated; which was done between 2019-2021, and we have about 314,000 households,” Nehikhare said.
He added, “While this implementation is going on, we are going to go back to these homes; local government to local government as we have done before, to revalidate them, and also provide each person with the Edo residency card.
“We would register them, get their biometrics, and with NIN staff to go along to capture those people that have not been captured before, and when this is done, maybe as early as next month, we will provide N20,000 for every household every month.
Nehikhare remarked that Edo State government is not against the idea of the All Progressive Congress (APC) led Federal Government’s plan to give N8,000 but was against the move of giving people money directly without prior records or data to actually define who is the poorest of the poor.
“We have the most credible data produced in conjunction with the World Bank. The World Bank came here, and organized enumeration of vulnerable people,” he said.
Nehikhare emphasized that Edo State Government is not using Federal Government’s money, but committing its own IGR, which is a contribution from all Edo people involved with taxes, noting that it is a noble idea to help take as many Edo people off the poverty line.
While stressing the fact that the Edo State Government is taking the lead in cushioning the effects of petrol subsidy removal, Nehikhare was quick to add, “We have lots of challenges of course, but what is a government without people?
“We have roads to fix, we have schools to fix, we have all sorts of things to do, but we are committing this to help people, to make sure no one is left behind.”
Commenting on the transparency of the database, Mr. Crusoe Osagie stated that the database was produced from a World Bank-sponsored organized enumeration survey that was done between 2019 -2021.
“That survey was done between 2019-2021. It was a World Bank-sponsored initiative.
“We know that between then and now, a lot of things would have happened, some people would have died, some people would have become richer, and so on.
“We will update that list, that is what the Governor will use for this initiative,” Crusoe explained.
On social security, the Hon. Commissioner announced that Edo State Government is training 1,500 people as vigilante volunteers at the revamped Police Training College, Ogida Barracks, Benin City, for vigilante assignments, adding that “All the people that we are training we are getting their biometrics.
“We are recommissioning them to make sure that they think like law enforcement agents and this is for the security of Edo people. Our state is more secure. We want Edo State to be one of the safest states in the country. That’s why we have regular training of volunteers to make sure that we have a strong force.”
Speaking on plans to effect a reconciliation between Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu, Nehikhare categorically stated that Exco condemned in strong terms the action of Philip Shaibu.
According to Nehikhare, “When you breach trust, breach the oath which you have taken, there are consequences.
“But as of today, we are not even thinking of that. As politicians, we want everybody to be on board. But the truth of the matter is, there are consequences for action.
“I don’t know what his motives were or what his motive is, but as politicians, we will never shut the door.”
