As the number of beneficiaries of the Ekiti State’s Social Security Scheme was increased to 25,000 on Friday, the State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has assured that the his “life-enhancing” scheme which provides N5,000 monthly stipend to elderly citizens above 65 years, has come to stay.
Fayemi who gave the assurance at the second anniversary of the implementation of the social security scheme which is the first of its kind in West Africa, reiterated the commitment of his administration to providing monthly succour to the elderly citizens, even as the scheme is already backed up by a law in the State.
The Governor further stated that his administration, in pursuit of welfare packages for the elderly citizens, is in the process of setting up an Old People’s Home to cater for the well being of those who face extreme challenges at old age.
“I wish to reiterate that the provision of the social security monthly allowance for the elderly citizens has come to stay in Ekiti State. The legislation entrenching this is already part of the laws of Ekiti State. And as alluded earlier, a total number of 20,000 people are benefiting from the scheme to which an additional 5000 beneficiaries being included today makes some 25,000 beneficiaries of the scheme. Till date, a sum of over N1.7 billion has been spent on the programme”, Fayemi explained.
The newly inducted beneficiaries as well as the existing ones, according to Fayemi, are expected to complete a new enumeration form which is aimed at providing identity cards to prevent impersonation at the various payment centres.
“I have been inundated with complaints about people who impersonate and even collect the monthly stipends on behalf of some elderly people, who on the account of ill health, cannot make it to the payment centres but refused to deliver such money to the appropriate beneficiaries.
These and other unfortunate conducts have now informed the government’s decision to introduce a more scientific payment process that will involve the use of biometric data capturing system that will eliminate activities of ghost beneficiaries”, he said.
