182 officers for safety net coordination

The National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), has set up the Delta State Coordinating Unit (SOCU) with the recruitment and training of community development officers.

The NASSCO national coordinator, Peter Papka said Delta is the 24th state NASSCO is setting up a State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) with 182 officers drawn from the 25 local government areas of the state.

According to the National Coordinator of the NASSCO they were in Delta state as part of the programme’s quest to raise a national social intervention register on the poor and vulnerable households to develop a national data base for national planning and development.

He, however specified that nine local government areas from the three respective senatorial districts of the state have been set out for the pilot scheme, namely, Aniocha North and South, Ika North East (Delta North); Warri North and South West, Burutu (Delta South); Ughelli, Okpe and Ethiope East (Delta Central).

Addressing the trainees at a four-day training of community development officers on Community Based Targeting and Identification/Enumeration of the Poor and Vulnerable over the weekend, Peter Papka explained why the office operations avoids the use of traditional and community rulers, religious leaders and politicians as rallying points for identification of poor and vulnerable in their respective communities.

The NASSCO national coordinator warned the trainees to avoid skipping the due process or holding community engagements at traditional palaces, politicians’ houses and fora, adding that the scheme is designed to deal directly with the beneficiaries without bureaucratic encumbrances.

Special Assistant to the Governor of Delta state on Child Rights, Barr. Bridget Anyafulu, who spoke to Daily Trust in Asaba at the event noted that about 70% of Nigeria’s population are rural dwellers and are constituted by the majority of the poor and vulnerable in the society and urged government at all levels to develop socioeconomic policies and programmes that flow from bottom up approach.