By Stephen Adeleye.
The Kogi State Government has advised her citizens to approach only the approved and designated registration points to register for the 2nd phase of the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0).
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Project, Hon. Abdulkareem Suleiman Onyekehi, made the call in a statement he made available to journalists on Friday in Lokoja.
Onyekehi noted that the Honourble Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sa’adiya Umar Farouq, had recently flagged-off the 2nd phase of the GEEP 2.0, targeting small traders, artisans and rural farmers through cooperatives and groups.
Onyekehi, who doubles as the State Focal Person, National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), described the GEEP 2.0 program as a tradermoni, marketmoni and farmermoni with zero interest loan between N50,000 to N300,000 targeting small traders, artisans and rural farmers through cooperatives and groups.
He berated the circulation of unauthorised application forms in some local government areas of the state.
He explained that the GEEP 2.0 did not require the use of application forms as being touted around but rather based strictly on the enumeration register.
He also that People Living with Disabilities (PWD) will be given special attention by the registration team while those living in difficult terrains in remote rural communities would also be specially considered.
“The Community Orientation and Mobilization Officers of the National Orientation Agency with the Support of GEEP Desk Officers in the Local Government will be dedicating 3 points per LGA across Kogi state to enable all intending beneficiaries to get enumerated in the application register.
”The GEEP 2.0 does not require application forms currently being circulated by some people around the communities.
“The program (tradermoni, marketmoni and farmermoni) is a zero interest loan between N50,0000 to N300,000 targeting small traders, artisans and rural farmers through cooperatives and groups.
“I want to sound a note of warning to those peddling the forms for GEEP 2.0 to desist immediately as we have alerted the security operatives to arrest whoever is found distributing such forms for GEEP 2.0”, he said.
He, therefore, said that the designated points in each of the 21 LGAs would soon be announced to the public, saying registration for the GEEP 2.0 would commence early next week across the state.
