Nigerians told to test FG’s poverty alleviation schemes, not to stay far and lament

…As stakeholders urge FMoI, NOA to set up verification desk to create confidence on govt schemes

The Federal Government has been advised to create a desk which would list all its palliative schemes and details so the masses can verify.

This is to serve as a verification centre for citizens who wish to participate to verify and confirm that what they saw on social media was correct or not.

Those who made the appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital said it was to counter the avalanche of platforms on social media, urging members of the public to click and receive one fund or the other, often found to be scam schemes.

The appeal was the major fallout at a sensitisation event by the Rivers State Centre of the Federal Ministry of Information and Orientation at the Federal Secretariat in Port Harcourt.

The Rivers State office held the one-day sensitisation programme with the theme; ‘Sensitising the Citizenry on Federal Government Intervention Programmes at the State and Local Government Levels.” It had in attendance representatives of the state government, heads of security agencies, religious leaders, heads of federal and state parastatals, civil servants, traders and the leadership and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council.

Participants were united in their demand for the that the Ministry should assist the FG by creating a desk in each state to sell the schemes and secure the buy-in of citizens because of many scams raging on social media about such schemes.

They said scammers seem to take over the job of information by misinforming the citizens, inviting them to so many online sites to apply.

The media practitioners said such a desk if created would have an online presence also to always issue weekly updates on the genuine programmes and the correct link addresses for citizens so that the scammers would not be the sole informants on FG programmes and how to access them.

The participants said the special desk had become necessary now that the FG has found that the masses have become adamant and doubtful of government alleviation schemes, and that most persons in some regions felt that these schemes only worked in some other regions.

This must be why the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Rivers State is now helping citizens to understand and key into the various alleviation schemes of the FG to reduce hardships.

This is said to be in response to the harsh economic conditions faced by citizens due to recent policies that may have increased cost of living. The Ministry said at the event that it is in a bid to ensure no one is left behind in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, and to also ensure citizens were properly informed about federal government intervention programmes.

The Rivers State office held the one-day sensitization programme which had in attendance representatives of the state government, heads of security agencies, religious leaders, heads of federal and state parastatals, civil servants, traders and the leadership and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council.

Gabriel Obokuru, head of the Ministry in Port Harcourt, speaking earlier on behalf of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, underscored the essence of the event, saying it is to; “Elucidate FG’s commitment to cushioning the effects of the fuel subsidy removal by initiating programmes that will enhance our living.

“Remarkably, this event is not just about listening. It is about keying into the programmes and policies that are before us, initiated by the federal government.”

He therefore, implored participants at the event to embrace the opportunities because time they say waits for no one.

The chairman of the occasion, Ernest Irehie, who is the Head of the National Film and Video Censors Board in Rivers State, enumerated some of the government intervention programmes. He commended the Ministry for organising such a sensitisation programme that he said would enlighten the citizens on government intervention programmes, and how the citizens could harness them to uplift their standard of living amidst the economic challenges facing the nation.

Also speaking at the event, the resource person, Chika Elesi, gave a detailed explanation of some of the FG intervention programmes, and went ahead to draw the attend of participants to what the FG is doing, saying they are also taking into consideration the environmental challenges plaguing the nation.

Despite the advances, participants at the event, nevertheless, bemoaned the current economic challenges facing the nation, which they blamed on the recent policies of the federal government.

The Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter, Daba Benebo, appealed to the FG to create an enabling environment that would accelerate the growth of businesses to reduce the need for intervention programmes.

Speaking also on the sideline, the Chairman of the Federal Information Chapel of the Rivers State NUJ Council, Helen Nsirim, urged Nigerians to take full advantage of the available Federal Government intervention programmes despite any skepticism.

In her words, “People should apply for these programmes because they are genuine. The idea of not applying and complaining that the intervention programmes were scams should not be so.

“These intervention programmes are designed with the citizens in mind. They are meant to empower and provide succor to the citizenry. I assure you that these programmes are genuine and are designed to benefit only those who participate.”