Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has forwarded a bill to institutionalise his various initiatives to drive economic growth, counter poverty to the state Assembly to ensure equitable distribution of resources in the state.
The bill, when passed, will establish the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWSSIP) which would be charged with the responsibility of tackling poverty, ensuring equitable distribution of resources and economic growth.
The governor’s plan is to ensure that his various interventions to tackle poverty and make living a lot more meaningful for the people are formalised and institutionalised.
However, it is a social security plan that benefits everyone, regardless of their affiliations.
Rafiu Ajakaye, chief press secretary to the governor, in a statement on Thursday says such programmes would outlive the administration and guard against people, especially the aged, falling into destitution or depending on any individual politicians to access whatever support the state can offer them.
Modelled after the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programmes, the statement added that KWSSIP would comprise Kwara State Conditional Cash Transfer (KWCCIT) to support those within the lowest poverty bracket by improving nutrition and increasing household consumption; Kwara State
Also, Poverty Reduction Programme (KWSPRP) to assist Kwarans to acquire and develop lifelong skills; Kwara State Government Entrepreneur and Empowerment Programme (KWSGEEP) which shall lend money to petty traders, artisans, farmers, enterprising youths, men and women; and HomeGrown School Feeding Programme (HGSF).
“The HGSF will ensure school feeding of schoolchildren in order to increase school enrolment, reduce malnutrition, empower community women, and support small farmers in the state,” the statement said.
This comes a few days after Abdulrazaq visited the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) at Jamba-Oja in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state where he said the thrust of his administration is to lift the people from poverty line, using heavy investment in agriculture and human capital development.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
