The security challenges bedevilling some parts of Taraba state have been identified as major reasons why some beneficiaries of the Covid-19 livelihood grants were exempted from the ongoing disbursement of funds.
The disbursement of the livelihood grants to beneficiaries which commenced on Wednesday, was observed to have been flagged off by the deputy governor, Alhaji Aminu Alkali, in Jalingo, the state capital.
While beneficiaries from three out of the sixteen councils were exempted from the exercise, beneficiaries from the two Special Development Areas, were as well observed to have not been spared.
Reeling out the reasons behind the exemptions, the Head of Unit Special Grant Transfer (SGT), Kelvin Sati, said the affected local governments and Special Development Areas were “exempted due to insecurity in those areas as at the time of beneficiaries’ enrollment”.
While he listed Takum, Ussa and Karim- Lamido as the exempted councils, Yangtu and Ngada Special Development Areas, he said they are as well not exempted.
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He was however optimistic that all the councils and Special Development Areas exempted from the exercise would be captured in the next phase of the disbursement exercise, stating that “those areas would be captured during the second round of disbursement.”
The exercise which is geared at providing short livelihoods and vocation skills training and one-off payments to economically active youth and women between the ages of 18-45 in the sixteen councils and two Special Development Areas in the State, as of the time of filing this report, as at the time of filing this report, has commenced the disbursement of livelihood grants of N101,900,000.00 to no fewer than 1078 beneficiaries drawn from from thirteen out of the sixteen councils of the state.
Also speaking, the deputy governor said the livelihood grants are meant to support the poor and vulnerable households in the state affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
While urging the beneficiaries to judiciously make use of the grants, the incumbent state government, under the leadership of the state governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, he said has mapped out plans to improve the standards of living in the state.
The exempted councils, as noticed by our reporter, had in recent times been enveloped by skirmishes, a situation which has led to massive destruction of lives and properties.
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