The Gombe State Focal Person for the Nigerian government’s Social Investment Project, Maryam Mele, has refuted former Governor Danjuma Goje’s allegation that there was no single N-Power beneficiary in the state, saying that about 2,840 are currently benefiting under the scheme.
Mr Goje, a serving Senator representing Gombe Central, was emphatic on the N-Power program where he alleged that, “no single person from Gombe State has benefited from your N-Power.
“We don’t know about your N-Power. As far as many of us are concerned, we are completely dissatisfied with what you are doing.”
However, Mrs Mele, while briefing newsmen on Saturday in Gombe on the activities of the agency, gave a breakdown of the beneficiaries as, “548 from Gombe Central, 594 from Gombe South, while Gombe North had 1,692 slots.”
She, however, said the state had 21,000 applications in the second batch of the programme, adding that 8,251 of the number were pre-selected, with 7,000 verified and sent to the national office for enrolment.
“Ours is to verify the successful applications and send to Abuja”, she said.
Similarly, Mrs Mele disclosed that N394 million has been released for the feeding of school children under the National Home Growth School Feeding Programme, HGSFP, in the state.
She said the funds were released to 2,809 food vendors, participating in the programme, adding that 515 food vendors were from Gombe Central, 1,023 from Gombe South, and 1,282 from Gombe North.
For the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT, she said only one ward in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state was captured, with 1,373 beneficiaries.
She said, 1,200 cooperative societies have applied for Government Entrepreneur Empowerment Programme, GIEP, for free interest loan of N10,000 and above.
She commended President Muhammadu Buhari for initiating the programmes and Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo for the support given to ensure its implementation.
NAN
