Akwa Ibom Receives $20m From W/Bank, Fed Govt

The Akwa Ibom State Government says it has received $20 million from the World Bank and the federal government in the cash transfer programme for poor people in the state.

The Commissioner for Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport, Mr Akan Okon, said the money was meant to alleviate the economic misfortunes of the poorest of the poor affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Uyo, Okon commended the World Bank and the federal government for approving the COVID-19 Action Recovery Stimulus Programme.

He applauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for setting up a committee in June 2020 to oversee the programme, noting that Akwa Ibom was one of the few states in the country to benefit from the programme.

He stated that following the timetable provided by the World Bank, the money would have been disbursed by March 2021 to beneficiaries in line with all modalities put in place for that purpose.

“What the World Bank has done is to ensure that every state would be entitled to the sum of 20 million dollars. A lot of paperwork has been done by the state government to meet the criteria of the World Bank.”

He said the beneficiaries would start getting the stipend from March. “However, it is only when you meet the eligibility criteria that this can happen and I am happy to say that in Akwa Ibom State on June 2, 2020, the governor inaugurated a committee to look into how it can benefit from this programme.”