The Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State legislatures of Nigeria, and Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin has sought for a collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation towards the successful implementation of the Ministry’s various social intervention programmes for the vulnerable people at the grassroots.
Mr Ogundoyin said this when he led the delegation of the Conference of Speakers of State legislatures of Nigeria on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu in Abuja.
He explained that the collaboration was imperative in order to ensure that the programs of the Ministry especially those that are meant to reduce poverty, support businesses, enhance educational enrollment and address humanitarian crises reach the intended beneficiaries who are our constituents.
According to a statement by Mr Oyetunji Oyekunle, the Chief Press Secretary to the speaker, it quoted the conference chairman saying, “In continuation of our efforts to foster a collaborative relationship between the Conference of Speakers of State legislatures and the Federal Government Ministries, we paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu in Abuja
“We seek partnership with the Ministry on the various intervention programmes of the Federal Government which are meant to enhance the living standards of our people at the grassroots.
“I told the Honourable Minister that the Speakers and indeed all the State legislators are the closest to the grassroots and their constituencies hence we should be better partners in ensuring the effective implementation of the various Social Investment Programs of the Federal Government, ” the statement added.
Mr Ogundoyin also commended the Federal Government for some of its Intervention programmes which include the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) for the support of those within the lowest poverty brackets; the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) which is a micro lending intervention for traders, farmers, women, etc, and the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSF) which delivers school meals to young children among others.
” I will like to acknowledge the warm reception accorded the leadership of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria by the Honourable Minister, Dr. Betta Edu. This has opened a communication channel for us and we shall continue to relate with the Ministry towards the realisation of programs for the Conference.” Mr Ogundoyin said.
In her remarks, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Edu used the opportunity to call for the domestication of the Disability Act and that of the National Social Investment Program Agency, NSIPA at State levels.
She also asked State legislatures to aggregate all the Federal Government’s programs in one agency.
