Boniface Okoro in Umuahia Abia State Government has spent about N1.2 billion on vulnerable citizens in the state, just as it has expanded its participation in the Nigeria for Women Programme from three to nine local governments with 6, 000 affinity groups. Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this at a post-Executive Council weekly meeting media briefing. Kanu identified vulnerable who benefitted from the government’s compassionate gesture to include citizens who received assistance ranging from life-saving medical treatment, persons living with disabilities who got housing support, disaster victims provided with emergency accommodation and indigent students that enjoyed educational assistance, between January to August this year. He said about N1.2 billion was disbursed to the beneficiaries. The commissioner, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to compassionate governance and social protection, said the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection has continued to implement the state’s social protection framework by identifying, assessing and coordinating urgent medical and humanitarian assistance for vulnerable residents. According to him, Governor Otti recently approved N384.7 million for 19 vulnerable beneficiaries to cater for life-saving medical interventions, emergency housing assistance, rehabilitation and educational support. “His Excellency has continued to demonstrate the compassionate disposition of his administration by approving support for vulnerable citizens requiring urgent medical, humanitarian and housing interventions,” Kanu said. The commissioner said that routine monitoring and follow-up visits carried out by the ministry ensured accountability in the utilisation of government assistance, leading to the recovery and repatriation of N20.9 million in unused funds from two beneficiaries, one of whom sadly passed before utilising the funds and the other whose medical bills had already been settled before help was received. On efforts to combat gender-based violence, Kanu disclosed that 11 cases of sexual and gender-based violence were reported to the Nchedo Sexual Assault Referral Centre between July and August 2026. He noted that all survivors received comprehensive medical, psychosocial, legal and referral services, while six suspects were arrested and four prosecuted. He said that the state government would not relent in ensuring that perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence were brought to justice. The commissioner announced that the Ministry of Women Affairs has released the Project Implementation Report for the state on the Nigeria for Women Programme (NFWP), a World Bank-assisted initiative aimed at improving women’s livelihoods. He explained that following the successful pilot phase, Abia joined the programme’s scale-up phase in November 2025, with Governor Otti approving and paying the state’s N450 million counterpart fund. The report showed that in addition to the pilot LGAs of Ohafia, Isiala Ngwa North and Obingwa, “the programme has now been expanded to six new participating local government areas, namely Isiala Ngwa South, Ugwunagbo, Arochukwu, Bende, Ikwuano and Ukwa West, while the number of women’s affinity groups in the state has increased from 3,000 to 6,000. Kanu encouraged women in the benefiting local government areas to participate actively in the programme’s implementation to maximise its opportunities. Present during the briefing were Commissioners of Women Affairs Dr. Maureen Aghukwa and her Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Counterparts, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix as well as Special Adviser to Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma.
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