FG addressing poverty eradication challenges – NASSCO

The Federal Government says on Tuesday that it is addressing the challenges against poverty eradication in the country.
Peter Paka, the National Coordinator, National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), said this in Yola. Paka spoke while flagging off a three-day training of community based targeting team of the federal government cash transfer programme to the poor and vulnerable in Adamawa.
He described lack of proper coordination and weak synergy between tiers of government as some of the major factors affecting the smooth implementation of poverty eradication programmes in the country.
He regretted that several poverty eradication programmes were set up by previous administrations, but the interventions were not translated into reality because of poor targets and performances.
According to him, the present administration in its effort to avoid the past mistakes and ensure comprehensive delivery established NASSCO to identify and register the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Paka explained that the establishment of the office was in respect of the objective to build a viable working synergy between Federal, States and Local Governments as well as the beneficiary communities to chase out poverty from the grassroots.
“Poverty intervention programmes had been in this country for decades without any significant. And among the reasons why the previous intervention was not translated into reality, included poor coordination and targets as well as weak working synergy between tiers of governments,” Paka said.
He disclosed that the core objective of the training was to enable the present administration reach out and capture data of the poor and vulnerable with the aimed of reducing poverty in the country.
Governor Muhammadu Jibrillah expressed worry over the high level of people living below poverty line in the state.
Represented by Martins Babale, his deputy, Jibrillah described NASSCO as a “good initiative and timely”.
He noted that one of the cardinal programme of the present APC administration was to eradicate poverty at all levels.
“Eighty per cent of our people are living below poverty and there is need to identify the under need, privileged and poor that are living within,” Jibrillah stressed.
He urged the organisers to develop serious guidelines and give proper training to the participants on how to identify the vulnerable Nigerians.
He also cautioned against registering foreigners because Adamawa has international and porous border.
In her remarks, Justina Patrick, the Permanent Secretary, state Planning Commission, said that the sharp focus of the programme was geared toward lifting the people out of extreme poverty.
Patrick said that six local government areas; two from each senatorial district, were chosen to conduct the exercise.
She explained 72 persons were intensively selected to be trained on how to capture the real vulnerable and poor within their communities.
The scribe added that 13 officers were also selected to receive training as state desk officers to monitor the local government officers to ensure effective service delivery.