Abia YESSO beneficiaries’ stipend costs 29 million monthly
Stipends for beneficiaries of the Head of World Bank-assisted Abia State Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO): Public workfare, PWF scheme (Abia YESSO-PWF scheme) Prince Nwalozie has said that stipends for the beneficiaries cost N28, 972, 500 monthly.
Nwalozie who spoke during an interaction with a cross section of the media in Umuahia disclosed that each of the 3, 863 beneficiaries was receiving N7, 500 monthly, adding that the payment was up to date.
Nwalozie said the scheme was dedicated to empowering the poorest of the poor in the state as well as equip them to access social infrastructure, such as education and health facilities easily, adding that only Abia State was participating in the scheme in the South East.
He said that Abia YESSO was currently operating in six pilot local government areas of Ugwunagbo and Ukwa East in Abia South Senatorial Zone; Isiala Ngwa North and Isiala Ngwa South local government areas of Abia Central Senatorial Zone and Ohafia and Umunneochi local government areas of Abia North Senatorial Zone.
He explained that the State Operating Coordinating Unit, which is domesticated at Abia State Planning Commission, Umuahia, supervised by World Bank, painstakingly went round the six pilot local governments to clinically collect, process and document the poorest of the poor in a Single Register File.
The Abia YESSO Head described the scheme as life transforming project, adding that beneficiaries were expected to start petty trading, become entrepreneurs or employers of labour at the end of their training programme.
Focal Person of Abia YESSO, Mr Endi Ezengwa, disclosed that the Skills for Job component of the PWF would soon be rolled out to provide capacity building for the physically challenged in Abia.
Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, Comrade John Emejor, had earlier explained that the interaction was initiated to ascertain how Abia YESSO-PWF has fared.