The Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, on Monday said that he launched the Nigeria-cares programme to tackle poverty across the twenty seven local government areas of Imo state.
The governor stated this at the Ahiajoku center in Owerri, during the flag-off ceremony.
Uzodimma described the NG-Cares as a “Historic milestone in the efforts of the World community, the federal government and the state government, to holistically address the devastating socio-economic effects of COVID 19, which has created a colony of a new poor in our country and indeed the world. This is a salutary programme that will sooner than later erase the devastation on the economy of the poor and vulnerable occasioned by COVID 19.
“This programme as we all know was fashioned to mitigate the local effects of COVID-19 pandemic on existing and newly poor and vulnerable households in our state. It is envisaged that within the next 18 to 24 months, the objectives of the programme would have been realized.
“The project development objective is to ensure food security and safe function of food supply chains in the 27 local government areas of the state. This will involve three component parts, namely, distribution of inputs and service provision including seeds and fertilizer and livestock inputs and extension services.
“It will also require agricultural assets for production and mitigation of food losses as well as upgrading water and sanitation in the markets. The state government working with World Bank approved guildelines is driving the process. This training programme is only but the beginning and that is why those who are involved must take it more than serious.”
“On the part of government, we shall tackle the NG-CARES programme with the same zeal that we employed in fighting the pandemic itself. You can recall that the Covid 19 pandemic almost welcomed us into the office and through proactive measures and single-minded determination; we have been able to discharge our responsibility to Imo people,” Uzodimma said.
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