House of Representatives committee queries minister over NSIP

Apparently piqued by complaints from their constituents, lawmakers yesterday interrogated the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, on the modus operandi of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) meant to cushion the heat of insecurity in the country.

The lawmakers spoke when the House of Representatives Committee on Poverty Alleviation met with the minister on familiarisation visit yesterday.They observed that though the new ministry is saddled with the mandate to oversee the social investment programmes to help empower unemployed youths and reduce the burden of insecurity, it seems not to be getting positive results.

They also raised concerns over delay in payment, adding that even when the payment is made, they are faced with a lot of other challenges.

A member, representing Ifako-Ijaiye (APC, Lagos), Awolobi Adisa James, requested to know why Lagos State was not part of the Federal Government School Feeding programme.

Also, member, Abubakar Makki Yalleman, asked: “What is causing the delay in the payment of the stipend for N-power beneficiaries?
He said the ministry through the social development programmes is supposed to have impacted positively to reduce the heat of insecurity among the unemployed youths to help Nigeria out of insecurity.

But responding, Farouq disclosed that the Federal Government had empowered 473,000, unemployed graduates in the last four years through the N-Power programme.

She also said that about 9.9 million primary school pupils were being fed by the Federal Government, adding that when the school feeding programme started, it was not all the states that enrolled.

“They were coming on board one after the other. Four states were not in the programme, namely Lagos, Kwara, Bayelsa and FCT.

“Lagos and FCT joined in December last year. So, it has started in Lagos. For Kwara, it started in February and we are just doing the training while Bayelsa is yet to start,” she said.She said that Lagos State had actually come on board for the feeding programme and that they were only waiting to do the official flag-off ceremony.