By Ejeh Peter
The Cross River State Programme Manager of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Mrs. Fanny Odey, has commended the Cross River State Government and the First Lady of the state for their commitment and support towards the programme’s efforts to deliver people-centred services in line with its mandate.
Odey made this known while speaking with PET Media, where she disclosed that Cross River State is set to commence the training and enumeration of more than 500 farmers across the state, following directives from the national and zonal leadership of the programme.
She explained that the state has put in place 18 Local Government Coordinators and 196 Ward Coordinators who will oversee the enumeration and other activities connected with the programme.
Recall that during the official flag-off ceremony, the National Programme Manager of GEEP, Hon. Baba Hamza, inaugurated the coordinators and handed over tablets to them to facilitate the data collection and enumeration process for prospective beneficiaries.
The Zonal Coordinator of the programme also disclosed that additional working tools, including power gadgets and other equipment, would be provided to further enhance the capacity of the coordinators and strengthen service delivery across the state.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded so far by the Cross River State team under the leadership of Mrs. Fanny Odey.
“I am delighted with the progress we are making in Cross River State under the watch of Mrs. Fanny Odey and her team.
“We have given tablets to the Local Government Coordinators and intend to provide more gadgets to support their work, even as we commence the training and enumeration process within the next two weeks.
“We are happy with the support of the state government. In no time, the Trader and Market Money Scheme will equally follow after we have completed this first phase of the Farmers Money programme, which will provide over ₦300,000 each to more than 500 beneficiaries,” he said.
Odey, in her remarks, assured prospective beneficiaries that the GEEP team would continue to work diligently to ensure that the programme achieves its objectives and reaches the intended beneficiaries.
She urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the funds provided under the scheme, stressing the importance of investing the money in livestock and other legitimate agricultural ventures.
According to her, beneficiaries are expected to repay the funds within one year, after an initial eight-month period for investment and business development, with repayment structured at an affordable rate of about ₦8,000 monthly.
She further called on all stakeholders and prospective beneficiaries to cooperate with the coordinators during the training and enumeration exercise to ensure a transparent and successful implementation of the programme across Cross River State.
PET Media reports.
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