The Federal Government has announced a special grant of N25,000 each under its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Scheme to vulnerable pensioners in the country.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, announced this when she met with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), led by its President, Joe Ajaero, in Abuja.
“President Bola Tinubu mentioned very clearly that vulnerable pensioners should be immediately captured on the National Social Register and benefit from the CCT. As part of the social safety net, this was made clear in his speech on Independence Day where he committed 25,000 Naira for 15 million households for three months,” she said.
Edu informed the leadership of the labour union that the desire to expand the national social register to include vulnerable pensioners in the CCT scheme was encapsulated in the renewed hope agenda.
She appealed to the NLC to help fast-track the process of collating data of would-be vulnerable pensioner beneficiaries so that they can start receiving CCT.
“I want us to fast-track this so that we are sure the expected beneficiaries can start receiving their stipends from next month, which is November,” Edu said.
In his response, Ajaero expressed delight at the various poverty alleviation and job creation schemes rolled out by the Humanitarian Ministry.
“Let’s look at not only how to solve this problem, but the cause of the problem. Let us look at other social welfare interventions and job creation that will go a long way to support families.
“For finding time to visit the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, we will work with you to achieve success in this process and your impact will be felt,” Ajaero said.
President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Godwin Abumisi, thanked the Federal Government for finding retirees worthy of a government social intervention programme.
According to him, pensioners received as low as between five and ten thousand Naira a month.
“Twenty-five thousand Naira is a big money to them,” Abumisi said
