The Kwara Commissioner for Environment, Malam Shehu Ndanusa, has charged Community Development Officers (CDOs) from the state’s 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to be alive to their responsibilities.
The Commissioner made the call on Friday in Ilorin during a meeting with the staff of Labour Intensive Public Workfare (LIPW), Delivery Platform and CDOs across the LGAs.
The CDOs are under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES).
“The purpose of the scheme is to alleviate the suffering of the poor and the vulnerable, as a result of the incidence of COVID-19 pandemic.
“Also, it is to increase the standard of living of our people for economic development,” the Commissioner said.
Ndanusa however said that it was surprising that the scheme was not properly managed by CDOs saddled with the responsibility in their various localities.
He further said that some of the beneficiaries were not properly documented, while few have not been reporting at their duty posts while still collecting monthly stipends.
The Commissioner then advised the CDOs to turn a new leaf, by taking charge in their respective LGAs.
He urged them to continue monitoring the activities of beneficiaries under their jurisdiction for proper accountability.
“All beneficiaries should be working at any of the government establishments in their communities for a maximum period of four hours per day.
“Government will soon commence the monitoring of the program across the LGAs to ascertain the level of compliance on the part of the LIPW beneficiaries,” Ndanusa said.
The Commissioner however appreciated the Technical Head, LIPW Delivery Platform, Alhaji Shamsideen Aregbe, for the laudable achievements of the program in the state.
Earlier, Aregbe had lauded the state government for engaging in various schemes and programs which had contributed to the upliftment of the standard of living of the poor.
He said NG-CARES has changed the story of more than 5,000 households across the LGAs, stating that some of the beneficiaries were the vulnerable who could not afford three square meals.
On the issue of proper monitoring of the beneficiaries, Aregbe implored the CDOs to redouble their efforts to achieve optimum results.
