...Commends President Buhari For Convening Robust Social Safety Nets. Citizens Rights Watch (CRW), a human rights activist has prai...
...Commends President Buhari For Convening Robust Social Safety Nets.
Citizens
Rights Watch (CRW), a human rights activist has praised the new Minister
of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and social development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouk on the transparent handling of
social investment programs of the federal government and COVID-19
Palliatives across the country.
The
Human rights watch in a press statement also commended Nigerian
President, Muhammadu Buhari for his genuine idea to exterminate poverty
from the vulnerable in the society, through provision of basic social
amenities.
According to
the body,the confidence repose on the Minister was responsible for the
demanding assignment/portfolio to assist in managing the critical sector
of both Nigerian economy and social services .
The
Rights Watch says it is encourage by the synergy between the former
handlers of N-SIP and the substantive Minister for the smooth handing
over and taking over the programs,as well as proper handling of the
onerous exercise.
'In
2019, as part of efforts to deepen and entrench the culture of social
security safety net, the President created the federal Ministry of
Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. This
idea was to ensure that the government’s social intervention programs
are institutionalized , moved away from ad-hoc arrangements and
reconfigured to better defined operations, accountability and due
process.'
The management of the
palliatives program during the COVID-19 pandemic was a good omen and
zeal of accountability and transparent leadership, displayed by the
Minister and her team,which contributed in no small measure to nip in
the bud the spread of the disease..
'Hajia
Sadia assumed this very important role and was instantly faced with the
world’s most disastrous pandemic in recent times. However, her
competence, skills and knowledge immediately reflected as she garnered
efforts to directly reach out to the poorest in the society. Safe for
her tenacity and well detailed approach, Nigeria would have probably
recorded twice the number of death of COVID-19 pandemic as a result of
hunger.'
They
emboldened the Minister not to relent in her efforts to bring on board
some laudable innovation especially to the new Ministry,and particularly
the digitization of Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT),which pilot
scheme is already on in six states out of 36 states and FCT, to
reinvigorate transparency and accountability.
'In
the last few months that she has been saddled with the leadership of
this very critical Ministry, she has had to review some of the process
to ensure accountability and better delivery of these services to and
for the people.
We note in particular her plans to digitize the payment register for the Conditional Cash Transfer
program (CCT), we consider this a welcome development that will surely
help improve transparency in the process. The program we understand is
to be piloted in 6 states of the federation. We encourage the Minister
to speed up the process and ensure a quick deployment of the digitalize
system across the 36 states of the Federation and FCT.'
The
body salute the courage of the Minister for insisting on quality
leadership, particularly during the nationwide distribution of
palliatives,her efforts to reach out the needy and the vulnerable in the
society.
'The Citizens
Rights Watch (CRW) lauds the current efforts of the Honorable Minister
Sadiya Farouq for the positive changes she is bringing onboard at the
new Ministry. Most especially we want to commend her for the quality
leadership she has shown during the distribution of palliatives
nationwide.
We understand the enormity of this task
and therefore commend her office for the far reaching distribution of
palliatives to the poor and downtrodden during this COVID-19 pandemic
period. Her passion to reach the poorest amongst us with the needed
palliatives aligns with the agenda of the President to tackle extreme
poverty and provides a safety net for the most vulnerable in the
society.'
CRW however
raises alarm of sharp practices in some states out of the 21 states
visited,saying their is need to nip in the bud such unholy acts of
diversion, corruption and other criminal activities of some state
officials, capable of reverting the laudable objectives of the present administration, to the catalyst that led to the failure of such programs
in the previous administration.
'CRW,
while commending the Minister for a great job done so far, will also
appeal to the Minister to also focus more effort into looking into the
distribution of palliates in some states of the Federation where there
have been complain of short changing or diversion by State Officials.'
On
the whole,according to the human rights watch,they said the
intervention of the government is getting the desired results reaching
the high profile vulnerable in the Society,saying it is a good omen that
will relive human dignity.
COMMENTS