FG to add families of fallen heroes to the Social Register—Minister

FG to include families of fallen heroes in cash transfer scheme—Minister

The Federal Government has announced intentions to expand the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme to accommodate the families of Nigerian deceased soldiers and members of the Nigerian Legion.

Dr. Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, announced this during an official visit to the Ministry of Defence Headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja, according to a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Olanrewaju Zubair.

Edu stated that the decision was part of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s desire to assist vulnerable ex-servicemen, widows, and dependents of dead heroes.

As a result, she sought reliable data on impacted ex-servicemen’s families in order to include them in the continuous verification of the national social register.

Edu went on to say that the president had ordered that the national social register be enlarged to include vulnerable groups so that they might benefit from social intervention programs.

”This scheme is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu renewed hope agenda and I am here to inform you that the programe has been expanded to accommodate retired personnel of Ministry of Defence mostly families of those who lost their lives in the course of defending the country.

“Government intends to support their wives to start up small businesses that will help their children stay in school and provide basic health care and even sustain the families” she said.

She also announced the establishment of the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP), which will assist the country’s small companies.

As a result, Edu urged the ministry to provide proper security protection for humanitarian workers on the ground.

Earlier, Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Defence, praised the Humanitarian Ministry’s efforts to assist the families of dead heroes.

Abubakar promised to improve engagement with the humanitarian ministry to help Nigerians in need.

“Including the retirees in the welfare scheme which will go a long way to renewed the hope of retired officers, their families and motivate the working officers to secure the Nigeria territorial integrity,” Minister Abubakar said.

In his remarks, retired Maj.-Gen. Abdulmalik Jubril, Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for integrating retirees into the CCT structure.

Jubril said, “The Nigerian Legion is the last hope for retired officers, which keeps increasing by the day.

“We need medical care and a decent livelihood for our members, this organ of the Military, that is the Army, Airforce and Navy retirees needs government support.”