2.2 million people opened bank accounts in Kaduna — Gov Sani

Kaduna Governor, Uba Sani, has said that at least no less than 2.2m poor and vulnerable people in the state have opened bank accounts for the state social intervention programmes.

This was even as he disclosed that the ongoing social interventions in some states do not reach the intended beneficiaries who are the poor and vulnerable members of the society.

The Governor further said that the fact that the country’s poverty index has been increasing in spite of several poverty alleviation programmes, suggests that there is something wrong with the various social registers in the states.

Governor Uba Sani made these observations on Saturday when the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Prof Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda paid him a courtesy visit on Saturday.

The Governor advised the Minister to check the authenticity of the social registers because the figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, highlighting the nation’s poverty index are scary.

According to him, a lot of the intervention programmes designed to help the poor and the underserved do not reach the rural areas because they are financially excluded.

‘’The first Executive Order that I signed as the Governor of Kaduna State is the Executive Order on Financial Inclusion. Right now, over 2.2 million people have opened bank accounts in Kaduna state.

‘’Our target is that everyone in Kaduna State should have a bank account so that the poor and vulnerable can benefit from the social interventions of both State and Federal Governments,’’ he added.

The Governor reminded that President Bola Tinubu’s administration wants to create jobs and reduce the high incidence of poverty, adding that ‘’that is why we are constructing three vocational and skills acquisition centres in Rigachikun, Zangon Kataf, and Soba towns.’’

Governor Uba Sani said that his administration is remodeling the Panteka Market in Kaduna to become a major centre for skills acquisition, by engaging over 38,000 artisans.

‘’Kaduna State Government is also collaborating with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to provide certification for graduates of Panteka Market,’’ he added.

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs noted that Governor Uba Sani’s programmes and policies align seamlessly with that of the Federal Government.

Prof Yilwatda commended the Governor for his inclusive style of governance which has not only brought peace in Kaduna but has made politicians from other parties defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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