The  National  Social Investment Programme in Gombe State  has faulted  Sen. Danjuma Goje’s statement that the programme was not working in his state and the country and should be scrapped.

Hajiya Maryam Mele, the Gombe State Focal Person  for the Programme said the respected senator did not get his facts right.

“Gombe State currently is enjoying the services of over 2,800 beneficiaries of N-power providing services in the health, agro allied and Education sectors respectively”, she said.

Over 7,000  Gombe indigenes were successful in the second batch and they were verified, awaiting placement and postings, she added.

“I want to bring to the notice of the senator that 2,809 food vendors are  providing nutritious meals to about 286,000 pupils in the state.

“‎In his senatorial zone, 162 food vendors have being verified to provide 14,342 pupils with meals daily, the senator’s local government inclusive which happens to have the highest number of vendors and pupils in the State”.

She said that  Yamaltu/Deba Local Government, in the Senator’s constituency, happens to be amongst the three pilot LGAs for the conditional cash transfer programme.

Mele also clarified in her statement  that more than 200 cooperative groups who applied for the Government Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Program (GEEP) and awaiting disbursements from Bank of Industry are from the senators constituency.

She  called on the National Assembly to support the programme by approving more funds for its sustenance so as to  alleviate poverty and  improve the socio-economic development of the country.

“We pray that the National Assembly will monitor the success of the programme and appropriate more funds in order to ‎maintain the tempo of the programme and support  President Muhammadu Buhari’s focus on poverty alleviation and socio economic development”, she stated.