As part of efforts to combat the issue of poverty in the country, the federal government has commenced payment of N20,000 to vulnerable Nigerians in Cross River State.
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, who was joined by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, launched the process in Calabar.
He commended the initiative and said it would help reduce poverty among the vulnerable.
Otu said that the president needed the collaboration of all to succeed in the task of taking 50 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030.
He expressed his administration’s readiness to support the initiative and also collaborate with other initiatives of the Federal Government on poverty alleviation.
While noting that some people had already started receiving payment alerts, he described the development as timely, especially against the background of the Christmas celebration.
The governor assured the people of a brighter future in the country and the state in particular.
“With the way the government speaks to the economics of the nation, it means the future of the nation is secured.
“For Cross River, we are looking into all key sectors, from agriculture to security and tourism. In no distant time, the state will be the toast of all the other states in the nation”.
On her part, Mrs Eyoanwan Otu, wife of the Governor, said the initiative would make a significant impact on the lives of countless individuals in the state.
While thanking the president and his wife Sen. Oluremi Tinubu and the minister of humanitarian affairs and Poverty Alleviation, she implored beneficiaries to put the grant to good use.
