In a bid to cushion the effects of the present harsh economic realities, Governor Ademola Adeleke on Thursday disbursed a total of Five Hundred and Eighty Eight Million, One Hundred and Five Thousand Naira only (N588, 105,000.00) to 19,720 beneficiaries of Imole Osun Cash Grant Scheme.

An additional Sixty Thousand identified poor of the population are to receive ATMs of their bank accounts to facilitate their access to the grant.

Governor Adeleke said the beneficiaries were shortlisted from the State Social Register for Poor and Vulnerable Households domiciled in the State Operation Coordinating Unit, and National Social Safety Net Project in the Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development.

The Governor, who was represented at the event by the Head of Service, Mr Ayanleye Aina, reviewed the many programmes of his administration to attend to the needs of the poor, the weak and the under-privileged said the administration has invested heavily in the Social protection sector, developing and implementing several high-level Social Security Strategies to reduce the poverty, unemployment and low productivity space among others.

Describing himself as a pro-poor, pro-welfare leader, the Governor said his administration’s Five Point Agenda has social investment as the core of its focus, noting that “these policies cut across health, education, agriculture, youth, women, children development and Special Needs.

“During our electioneering campaign, we promise that we shall not abandon them. We assure that we shall institutionalize an all-inclusive and well-coordinated Social protection Policy that will provide a life support system for the poor and vulnerable. This support system shall aim to reduce the income gap between the haves and the haves-not in our dear state.

In pursuance of that promise, the State Government of Osun under my watch, in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the State Operation Coordinating Unit (SOCU), National Social Safety Net Project, supervised by the Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development today launched this disbursement to the poor of the poor in the state

“Each beneficiary was supported with a sum of between Twenty Five (25,000.00) and Thirty Thousand Naira (N30, 000.00) only. Among the 19,720 beneficiaries, 10,390 of them with existing bank accounts have had access to withdraw and utilize their money.

Also, I have given approval that the remaining 9,330 beneficiaries be given their debit cards. These people are poor people without account numbers, and with this distribution, it becomes an achievement that is in tandem with the financial inclusion policy of the Federal Government.

From the foregoing, at least 60,000 people are going to receive their ATM cards of bank accounts, which was facilitated through this programme. The smart cards can be useful for further pro poor interventions and private use”, the Governor was quoted as saying.

Governor Adeleke said the objective of the cash intervention is to provide relief for the most poor and vulnerable population in the state against the harsh economic conditions occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidies, high cost of living among others.