The Kebbi government has disbursed N6.5 billion to 65,000 people under the state’s ‘Kaura Cares’ Livelihood Support Programme.

Governor Nasir Idris flagged off the disbursement exercise by operating a Point of Sale (PoS) to the targeted beneficiaries in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

Mr Idris said the programme, a fulfilment of his campaign promise, ensures improvement in the living conditions of beneficiaries, adding, “I have multiplied the number of beneficiaries by four times the initial figure.”

“My administration will continue to implement similar programmes, either under the World Bank, the federal government or the state government, that will be beneficial to thousands of our people, in consonance with what I have always emphasised: that my administration is a government of the people.

“I have watched clips of video of those who had earlier benefited from the programme; from what I have seen, there is a particular recipient who has been going from one place to another in search of medical care,” he said.

In a swift reaction to the video, the governor directed the Ministry of Health to identify the person for medical treatment in Nigeria or abroad, assuring that the state would shoulder the responsibility.

Mr Idris reiterated his commitment to improving the welfare and prosperity of the state’s people, saying the programme had detached the people from poverty.

“My government is determined to fight poverty in whatever dimension and provide much-needed basic social services to all communities,” he added.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Abba Sani-Kalgo, announced that the governor approved N6.5 billion for disbursement to 65,000 beneficiaries across the state.

“Each of the beneficiaries will receive N100,000, which is unprecedented in the history of the nation and only surpassed by the federal government,” he said.

Mr Sani-Kalgo said the beneficiaries were chosen by their various communities without interference from the governor or his subordinates.

The commissioner thanked the governor for his fatherly care for the people of the state and his efforts to improve their standard of living.

Earlier, the state programme coordinator for NG-Cares, Rukayya Muhammad-Bawa, said the NG-CARES programme is a beacon of hope designed to uplift the most vulnerable citizens and enhance livelihoods across the state.

“Under the livelihood intervention 1.1, from inception, we have enrolled 1,950 beneficiaries that have received N10,000 monthly for the period of two years. These beneficiaries were mined from the state social register and were either aged, chronically ill, persons with special needs, or urban poor.

“Just recently, Governor Nasir Idris gave the approval to enrol another 5,850 beneficiaries who will also be receiving N10,000 monthly for the period of one year,” she said.

Mr Muhammad-Bawa added that for direct livelihood intervention 1.3 of the programme, N200 million was disbursed to 1,050 beneficiaries under the livelihood grants scheme in the first phase.

“Cumulatively, from inception to date, the state has disbursed over N8.5 billion to over 85,000 beneficiaries, ranging from N100,000 to N200,000.

“In the education sector, 62 micro-projects were completed; in the health sector, 42 micro-projects were completed; in the water and sanitation sector, 82 micro-projects were completed; and five micro-projects were completed in the flood and erosion sector.

“Under agriculture, over N2.4 billion worth of fertilisers and agricultural inputs have been disbursed to over 6,000 beneficiaries across the 21 local councils in the third phase, among others,” the coordinator said.

(NAN)