By Abubakar Baba Ahmad.
The Adolescent Initiative for Learning and Empowerment AGILE Project in Bauchi State has commenced distribution of ATM and ID Cards to 12,133 beneficiaries successfully captured across 100 selected schools in the state.
The State AGILE Coordinator, Hajiya Ladi Mohammed Hamma stated this at the launch of the exercise at Sa’adu Zungur Model Comprehensive Secondary School in Bauchi.
Hajiya Ladi Hamma who said the distribution of the ATMs and ID Cards to the beneficiaries and caregivers is to enable them have access to the forty thousand naira already credited to their respective accounts, disclosed that additional forty thousand new beneficiaries are targeted under the second cohort of programme.
She said the funds were deliberately frozen until schools resumption to avoid diversion, urging parents to utilise the funds towards the education of their beneficiary female children.
“We have started distribution of ATM cards and ID cards to these beneficiary students today and this exercise is going to continue for the next 20 days across the 20 local governments and we expect the parents to use this money in improving the education of these adolescent girls”, the State AGILE PC explains
Earlier, the Conditional Cash Transfer CCT Component Lead, Hajiya Hadiza Abdulkadir who said out of the 18,273 beneficiaries captured, only 12,133 were successfully captured for funds disbursement , noting that the project will use the ID card and other supporting documents in taking attendance of the beneficiaries.
Launching the distribution exercise, the State Commissioner of Education Dr Lawal Mohammed warned parents against diverting the funds for domestic activities, noting that it was provided basically for the purchase of learning materials such as books, uniforms, and other stipends.
“People now see the need to bring their wards back to schools so that they can also be beneficiaries of this project. Not only beneficiaries of the funds, but also beneficiaries of the agenda that His Excellency has for the state”, the Commissioner states.
Speaking to Radio, Some of the beneficiaries’ parents Murtala Tanimu Lere and Hansa’u Musa Salihu expressed gratitude to Governor Bala Mohammed and AGILE project for the gesture and promised continued support to all activities aimed at promoting girl child education.
The distribution exercise by the state AGILE team is to continue across all the remaining ninety nine selected schools in the twenty local government areas of the state.
