The Federal Government has announced a special grant of N25,000 each under its Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT, Scheme to vulnerable pensioners in the country.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, announced this when she met with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, led by its President, Joe Ajaero in Abuja.
“President Bola Tinubu mentioned very clearly that vulnerable pensioners should be immediately captured on the National social Register and benefit from the CCT.
“As part of social safety net, this was made clear in his speech on Independence Day where he committed N25,000 for 15million household for three months,” she said.
Mrs Edu informed the leadership of labour union that the desire to expand the national social register to include vulnerable pensioners in the CCT scheme was encapsulated in the renewed hope agenda.
She, therefore, appealed to the NLC to help fast-track the process of collating data of would-be vulnerable pensioner beneficiaries so that they could start receiving CCT.
“I want us to fast-track this, so that we are sure the expected beneficiaries can start receiving their stipends from next month which is November,” Mrs Edu said.
The minister commended Mr Ajaero for being a team player.
According to her, the task of moving Nigeria forward was a collective one.
She, therefore, urged NLC leadership to continue to have faith in the Tinubu Administration.
In his response, Mr Ajaero expressed delight at the various poverty alleviation and job creation schemes rolled out by the Humanitarian Ministry.
The labour leader however said, identifying the root cause of poverty would go a long way in addressing the challenge in the country.
“Let’s look at not only how to solve this problem, but the cause of the problem, Let us look at other social welfare interventions and job creation that will go a long way to support families,” he said.
He urged the federal government to create more productive economy by creating more Jobs to ensure prosperous nation.
Mr Ajaero thanked the Minister for being the first member of the federal executive council to visit the labour house in President Tinubu’s Administration.
”For finding time to visit the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, we will work with you to achieve success in this process and your impact will be felt,” Mr Ajaero said.
Also speaking, President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Godwin Abumisi, thanked the federal government for finding the retirees worthy of government social intervention programme.
According to him, Pensioners received as low as between five and ten thousand Naira a month.
”Twenty five thousand Naira is a big money to them,” Mr Abumisi said.
NAN
