The Federal Government says it has engaged 70 Independent Monitors to fast track implementation of the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) in Kebbi State.

Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, disclosed this at the presentation of engagement letters and devices to the monitors, on Monday in Birnin Kebbi.

Umar-Farouq, represented by the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Legal Matters, Aminu Shamaki, said each of the independent monitors was expected to monitor a designated number of beneficiaries of the programme.

She said that each of the monitors would be paid a monthly stipend of N30,000, adding that they must meet up to 80 per cent of their deliverables monthly to be eligible for the stipend.

The engagement letters, she said, clearly articulated the scope of work to include; routine monitoring of all programmes under the N-SIP in their assigned Local Government Area (LGA) and provision of evidence-based reports on findings in the field.

She listed other services to include the submission of reports in accordance with the set timelines, attending all pieces of training and meetings as required by the ministry as well as other duties that may be assigned by the ministry.

“Please be informed that independent monitors are not allowed to assign their responsibilities to third parties. Each monitor will be held accountable by the ministry for the task given to them.

“The ministry reserves the right to disengage an independent monitor for misconduct or non-compliance with set guidelines and directives.

“I hereby urge you all to carry out this assignment with the utmost sense of patriotism, diligence and sincerity,” she said.

Umar-Farouq said the N-SIP was created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 with the mandate of lifting citizens out of poverty through a number of social interventions.

She listed the interventions to include the Job Creation Programme (N-Power); National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), and Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

The minister said that all the programmes were moved to the ministry in 2019, noting that they were being implemented across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In his remark, Dr Garba Abari, the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), said the Federal Government had committed a lot of resources to fight hunger and poverty in the country.

Abari, who was represented by Joseph Yaro-Mackika, the state’s Director of NOA, charged the independent monitors to redouble efforts in discharging their duties to achieve the objectives.

He warned against any form of default, adding that the agency would also monitor their activities.