Sadiya Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has warned Independent Monitors of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) not to intimidate or harass beneficiaries.

Farouq, who stated this on Friday in Akure during the training of Stream 2 Independent Monitors in Ondo State, said the ministry will not accept intimidation of beneficiaries by an independent monitor.

Represented by Mr Joseph Adaramoye, the Director of Finance and Administration (DFA), the minister said 3,000 Independent Monitors were being onboarded to the programme across the country.

She said Stream 1 of the programme had 4,452 Independent Monitors, trained and enrolled across the country between February and March 2021 as monitors of NSIP. This brings the total number of monitors so far to 7,452.

Farouq said the programme was important and strategic as men and women trained would add value to the programme after prerequisite training and receive engagement letters and Tablets (phone) as working tools for monitoring.

“Monitoring at the state requires that the Independent Monitors partners the state NSIP team, as their work cannot be done in a vacuum.

“All state NSIP officials are here today, and I ask you to work closely with them. No intimidation of beneficiaries by an Independent Monitor will be accepted by the ministry.

“Any Independent Monitor found intimidating or harassing a beneficiary will be taken off the programme.

“Be informed that we have officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and Department of State Services(DSS) working with us on this programme, and those found culpable will be handed over to relevant authorities.

“We are also working with Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society groups that will support you in your monitoring assignment,” she said.

According to the minister, NSIP was created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 with the mandate of lifting citizens out of poverty through a number of Social Interventions which include the Job Creation Programme – NPOWER

Others are; National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (CCT), and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

The Ondo State Focal Person for Social Investment Programmes, Mrs Olubunmi Ademosun, urged the Independent Monitors to be diligent with their assigned duties.

Ademosun, represented by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Social Investment, Mr Felix Kolawole, informed the beneficiaries that their reports would help to shape the programme for the better.

The Technical Assistant, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Kehinde Adegbola, said the programme was organised to give those who were just coming on board the necessary training to facilitate the process. (NAN)