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The Plateau State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has said the Niger Delta Progressive Women Worldwide didn’t understand the position of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda during his senate screening on Wednesday.
The Acting Publicity Secretary of the APC in Plateau State, Hon. Shittu Bamaiyi in press statement signed and issued on Friday in Jos said the group alleged that Dr Nentawe answers to questions thrown at him during the screening exercise reflected bias against the southern regions of the country.
“It is rather sad that Dr Nentawe Yilwatda’s position on Poverty Reduction during his screening on the floor of the Senate has been misconstrued by some people across the Country.
“Of particular concern is the statement credited to a group, called Niger Delta Progressive Women Worldwide, where in it erroneously accused the Minister designate of Humanitarian Affairs of bias on his planned strategy of reducing poverty in the Country.
“For the avoidance of doubt,at no point in time, did the Minister designate, say that more attention wil be given to one part of the country against the other in poverty reduction.
“Probably the group misconstrued the explanation by Dr Nentawe,when he stated that available data shows that the level of poverty in the North is higher than that of the Southern part of the Country.
“As a matter of fact, that was not his opinion, but source from the National Bureau for Statistics and other relevant agencies.
“Using the data from National Bureau for Statistics which states that 65% of the Country’s Poverty rate is in the North and 35% from the South,Dr Nentawe posited that, there is the need to go beyond the figures and percentages in poverty reduction.
The party statement added that the Minister elucidated by saying that, names and digital identity should be attached to those figures and percentages, in order to geo-partially recognize those living beyond poverty line.
According to him, by so doing, the ministry will be able to identify people living beyond the poverty line in each local government area, Ward and census enumeration areas by names.
“Suffice to say that, if the Minister designate had portrayed or made intended remarks in favour of any part of the country, the Senators could have checkmated him on the spot.
“After all, a prominent Senator from the Niger Delta, Ned Nwoko, came on National Television, the Channels, that same Wednesday, and showered praises on Dr Nentawe for his blue print on Poverty Reduction.
“It is therefore not correct and misinformation to say that the Minister designate has a bias against any section of the country but to unequivocally State that Dr Nentawe has an uncompromising interest in Poverty Reduction in the entire Country.
“Therefore the call to remove Dr Nentawe from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction by the Niger Delta Progressive Women Worldwide, is baseless and should be disregarded.
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