REJOINDER: CLARIFICATION ON THE ALLEGED NON-PAYMENT OF ENUMERATORS BY MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MED/AD/13/28/Vol. VII/322
5th November, 2024
REJOINDER: CLARIFICATION ON THE ALLEGED NON-PAYMENT OF ENUMERATORS BY MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
In response to the recent media report on the alleged non-payment of enumerators, the Ministry of Economic Development would like to provide the following clarification:
1. In December 2023, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, directed the review and expansion of the State Social Register (SSR) to include more indigenes who were not qualified when the Register was initially built in 2018. This exercise was a Pro-Poor program aimed at benefiting the poor and vulnerable individuals in the Local Government Areas (LGAs), Villages, and Political Wards of the State.
2. The State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU), in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development, supervised the entire exercise, ensuring that all activities were executed as planned.
3. The planned activities included:
Training 368 PAs, Enumerators, Desk Officers, SOCU staff, and volunteers. It’s important to note that these volunteers were provided by the LGA chairmen, who were responsible for their maintenance during the fieldwork.
Intensive and extensive State-wide publicity, including radio jingles, sensitization campaigns, and news promotions.
The modalities of payment were approved by the Ministry and were used to cover the following expenses:
Paying trainees and participants.
368 PAs
Desk Officers
Enumerators
Transportation for trainees and participants in the three Senatorial Districts.
Light refreshments for trainees and participants.
Procurement of working tools
Data Analysis, Printing/Photocopying of documents
The Ministry had since authorized payment to all participants in the exercise, as per the payment modalities approved by the MED/SOCU. Since this is a State-Sponsored exercise, the payment modalities emphasize a one-off payment, not at parity with the World Bank Rate.
We are grateful to His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno for approving and supporting the update of the State Social Register, which will give access to more indigenes of the State to benefit from future Welfare Schemes.
If anyone has genuine complaints, they are free to verify the facts or seek further clarifications at the Ministry of Economic Development.
Thank you for your anticipated understanding.
Signed:
Mr. Emem Bob
Hon. Commissioner
