Governor, professor Ben Ayade on Monday began the monthly payment of 30,000 stipends to beneficiaries of the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) as a way to cushion effect of COVID-19 lockdown on poor residents.

The disbursement is in collaboration with the World Bank. Commissioner for International Development Cooperation in the state, Inyang Asibong, during the commencement of the distribution in Akampa Local Government Area of the said the aim is to assistant the vulnerable during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic to meet their needs.

He added that the government has approved the payment for beneficiaries who are engaged in community services such as sanitation, clearing of gutters, erosion control among others.

The State Governor Ben Ayade had earlier imposed new restrictions on residents of the state including ‘no mask no movement.’ The governor said no resident of the state would be allowed to move without a face mask to contain spread of the Coronavirus. Although, there is no confirmed case of COVID-19 in Cross Rivers, it shares border with Cameroon which has over 1,000 confirmed cases.

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