Abiodun signs Social Investment Order into law

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has signed an Executive Order establishing the State Social Investment Programme into law.

Abiodun, while signing the order in his office at Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Wednesday, said it would help to alleviate poverty and hunger by ensuring equitable distribution of resources to the vulnerable, the poor, and the widows, among others in the state.

The governor stated that the order would also help to improve the social economic conditions of the citizens of the state at the grassroots, adding that the order was important in view of the economic recession over the world and particularly the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said: “This programme will be implemented by the Ogun State Social Investment Committee, the social investment programme amongst others, is established to alleviate poverty, hunger, and ensure equitable distribution of resources to the vulnerable, the poor, the widows, traders, physically challenged, the aged, amongst all other identified groups.

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“This order aims to improve the social economic condition of our populace at the grassroots level and consequently reduce poverty in the state.”

Governor Abiodun stressed that his administration was domesticating its own version of the programme which had already been done by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

The governor, who disclosed that the committee would be chaired by an indigene of the state with high integrity and relevant experience, said other members of the committee would comprise of representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Community Development and Cooperatives, Youths and Sports, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Women Affairs, and Special Duties.

Abiodun added that the committee would be answerable to his office, saying: “The committee’s mandate shall be to implement social investment programmes established by this executive order to identify and stimulate the beneficiaries of the Social Investment Programme, to set guidelines and modalities for the effective execution of the social investment programme, to promote public awareness of this programme, to carry out other functions and engage relevant personnel as maybe necessary to implement the social investment programme.”

The Star