04 September 2014, Kaduna – The Federal Government’s Subsidy Re-investment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) has empowered 4,000 community women in Ifo area of Ogun State with a sum of N20million.
The above-mentioned sum was to assist and encourage pregnant women and nursing mothers attending the immunisation programme.
The SURE-P programme partnered the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, which is a federal government initiative aimed at reducing infant and maternal mortality in the country drastically.
Chairman, National Ear Centre, Kaduna, Dr. Abisola Sodipo-Clark, while speaking in Ifo area during the programme tagged ‘the Updated Condition Cash Transfer (CCT) Payout to Pregnant Women’ said 2,200 women qualified for the second round of CCT.
She said 1,800 community women benefited from the first round held earlier, adding that various amount have been given to the beneficiaries which are in different categories.
According to her, this amount would however go a long way in assisting the beneficiaries and their families to defray antenatal and, in some other cases, post-natal expenses.
She enjoined the beneficiaries to ensure that whatever amount of money given to them should be expended on their individual antenatal and postnatal care.
She added “for the sake of your baby and your own health and well-being, avoid a situation where you treat the CCT payout as your own share of national cake which you can expend on ‘Aso ebi’ uniform for the next social ceremony or party you plan to attend”.
She said the President Jonathan-led administration has realised that women and children who are the future of the country ought to be assisted financially and taken adequate care of in order to promote safe motherhood.
She said the federal government should be commended for magnanimity toward the pregnant women and nursing mothers.
“Pregnant women should reciprocate this good gesture by ensuring that they spend the money on what it is meant for and wisely too. By so doing, you will be helping yourselves and your babies to survive as well as contribute your own quota to efforts aimed at reducing child maternal mortality in Nigeria”, she added
– This Day