Anambra State Community and Social Development Agency (ANCSDA) organized a flag-off ceremony for distribution of work tools & kits to Labour-intensive Public Workfare (LIPW) beneficiaries.
The event which took place recently in Amawbia, Awka South LGA, had many dignatories and stakeholders of the project in attendance including the Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Economic Planning Budget & Development Partners (MEPB & DP), Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, Head State CARES Coordinating Unit (SCCU)Mrs Ogochukwu Orji, and National President Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) Barr. Titus N. Akpudo,
Also present were State Chairman Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD)Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke represented by Comrade Shedrack Nwafor, the Town Unions Presidents- Generals and LIPW Site Supervisors of all the participating communities , Management and Staff of ANCSDA etc.
The LIPW is a component of the Anambra COVID-19 Action Recovery & Economic Stimulus (AN-CARES) Programme being implemented by the State government in partnership with the World Bank.
The Objective of AN-CARES Programme is to expand access to livelihood support and food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms in Anambra State.
In his welcome address , the General Manager/CEO, ANCSDA, Mr Chudi Mojekwu, said LIPW is a programme intended to provide temporary employment opportunities to unskilled, unemployed, vulnerable persons with little education and who were heavily affected by COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the Agency is to provide support to the beneficiaries while they in turn provide support to their Communities by way of some social services delivery.
The GM informed that already 1,755 beneficiaries have been enrolled, fully deployed, and working in some 175 sites across the 21 LGAs in the State under the LIPW.
He said that the reports being received by the Agency from those work sites were very encouraging . “Young men and women are cutting overgrown grasses, clearing the drains, controlling traffic congestions on roads, cleaning public of halls, markets, hospitals, schools etc”.
This according to him, key into the transformational agenda of the Gov. Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, in terms of cleaner, greener, liveable, and prosperous homeland that he’s determined to give to ndi Anambra.
On his part, the National President ASATU, Barr. Titus Akpudo, said LIPW is a well thought out programme by the Govt. and World Bank, adding that it holds a great prospect in empowering the poor, vulnerable and unemployed youths in the communities.
According to him, its also enough evidence that the Soludo administration is people-oriented and focused. He promised that ASATU as the only body that binds all Town Unions across the State will support the LIPW.
He believed that the decision to involve ASATU in the initiative will ensure that the project succeeds in the communities.
The State Chairman Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, represented by Comrade Shedrack Nwafor, remarked that the Disability Community have been actively involved in the AN-CARES Programme across its various components in the State, and extended their great thanks to the State government.
In her Special remarks at the Flag-off ceremony, the Hon. Commissioner MEPB & DP Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, speaking on-behalf of the State Governor said the LIPW is focused on the state’s unskilled, unemployed and little educated persons aged between 18yrs and 45yrs affected by COVID-19 pandemic with the whole aim being to engage them in Productive Social Services in their various Communities of origin/residence.
She informed that in return, the government pay them monthly stipend for a period of 2 years. Mrs Nnake stressed that LIPW is in line with the Governor’s Transformational Social Agenda, a key segment of which is creation of jobs, jobs and jobs for the youths.
According to her, LIPW is expected to support the creation of clean, green, planned and sustainable cities, communities and markets as part of the liveable and prosperous homeland envisioned in the Soludo Solution.
The Hon. Commissioner informed that about Seventy Million naira (=N=70m) has been set aside for the payment of monthly stipends to the beneficiaries and assured that all necessary funding support will be provided to ensure the sustainability of this Productive Social Protection activity.
Questions were asked by some Beneficiaries present and were addressed to satisfaction of those present by the GM/CEO ANCSDA.
In his closing remarks, the GM ANCSDA thanked all the dignatories present at the occasion and also promised the Site Supervisors present that their stipends would be paid soon.
Giving a Vote of thanks on behalf of the community beneficiaries, the PG Orsumoghu and Vice President ASATU, Chief Chika Muomaife, thanked the State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for the intervention in their communities that will help to empower their youths and bring about cleaner environments in their respective Communities.
High point of the event was the cutting of the tape by Hon. Commissioner, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, signalling the Flag-off of distribution of the LIPW work tools and kits which include wheel barrows, dust bins, shovels, rakes, brooms, hand gloves, cutlasses, packs of hand sanitizers, nose masks, first aid treatment kits etc to the community beneficiaries.
/ANCSDA media
