Jigawa State says the process for opening bank accounts for the 5,000 registered pregnant women hindered the take-off of the monthly cash transfer to them initiated by the government.
The Deputy Governor Mallam Umar Namadi stated this during an interview with newsmen in Dutse, following the delay of the program implementation.
According to him, the government has captured the program in the 2021 and 2022 budgets but is faced with some challenges during the process of opening accounts for the beneficiaries.
Mallam Umar Namadi explained that, the program being initiated was aimed at encouraging rural women to attend antenatal, hospital delivery and postnatal.
He said the 5,000 Naira monthly stipend was expected to assist the beneficiaries to buy required food towards enhancing their nutrition and that of their children to avoid being victims of malnutrition.
The Deputy Governor noted that out of the 5,000, the government had succeeded in opening the bank accounts for 3,800 beneficiaries.
He said the state government has resolved to commence the payment from February, adding that they would continue working with banks and relevant agencies to resolve the problems of the remaining 1,200 beneficiaries.
Namadi noted that those whose problems can’t be resolved would be replaced with other pregnant women with requisite criteria.
He said the beneficiaries were selected from 287 political wards to pilot the program and the number could be increase after assessing the impacts of the program.
He, however, assured the beneficiaries that, the money had been appropriated in the 2022 budget and that the government would not renegade on its determination to use necessary procedures and mechanisms to tackle the high rate of maternal and child death in the state.
COV/USMAN MZ, Jigawa
