RIVCARES: 6,000 Rivers Households Benefit From Cash Transfers

No fewer than six thousand households in Rivers State are currently benefitting from the Federal /Rivers State Governments monthly social cash transfer programme of N20,000 each.

The social cash transfer is under the Rivers State Community Action Resilience and Economic Stimulus (RIVCARES) programme.

The RIVCARES program is a World Bank intervention programme with support from the Federal Government and the 36 states of the federation

Rivers State Coordinator of RIVCARES, Mr Praise Felix, disclosed this in an interview with The Tide during an orientation and training programme for beneficiaries of RIVCARES from the Rivers West Senatorial zone in Port Harcourt.

Felix said the social cash transfer, which is an aspect of RIVCARES programme, is meant to cushion the negative effect of the economy on vulnerable households not just in Rivers State but across the country.

He said the six thousand households who benefitted from the programme include, the aged, the sick and widows, stressing that the programme has enabled the aged to buy drugs, and sick people to take care of themselves.

“Under the cash transfer, we focus on the aged, we focus on the physically challenged, and we focus on the widows, so these are the categories of beneficiaries. We don’t just transfer to any person,” he said, adding that the beneficiaries are from the Rivers State Social Register.

The coordinator further explained that the programme has done very well in other sectors.

According to him, thousands of farmers in the agriculture sector are being assisted with agricultural inputs to ensure food security, while series of interventions have been carried out in the small and medium enterprises sector.

Speaking on the climate smart labour-intensive public works unit, Felix said thousands of young men and women have been engaged to carry out menial activities in their respective communities.

He said the beneficiaries are also receiving N20,000 monthly payment.

He urged the beneficiaries from the Rivers West Senatorial zone to utilize the monthly stipends judiciously.

Meanwhile, Rivers State has been rated the best in the country in the implementation of the climate smart labour-intensive public works of the RIVCARES programme.

Technical Head, Climate Smart Labour-Intensive Public Works of RIVCARES, Engr. Prince Enyindah, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt.

He said over 27,000 vulnerable young men and women have benefitted from the programme, while more than 300 public works have been executed.

He attributed the feat to Governor Siminalayi Fubara who graciously approved the implementation of the RIVCARES programme in the State.

Enyindah, however, stressed the need for the state government to increase its counterpart funds to enable more young and vulnerable Rivers indigenes to benefit from the programme.

He described the orientation programme in the three senatorial zones as a big success, while urging beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunities.

Beneficiaries who cut across the three senatorial districts in the State thanked the government for their inclusion in the programme, and pledged to make judicious use of the monthly stipends to improve their lives.

**By: John Bibor **