No fewer than 2,500 Muslim civil servants in Oyo State will benefit from the government’s festive commodity advance scheme ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The initiative, designed to provide relief to Muslim workers amid current economic challenges, includes subsidised items such as ram, rice, and groundnut oil.
Chairman of the Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State, Sheikh Taofeek Akeugbagold, disclosed this during the distribution exercise held at Ikolaba, Ibadan, where qualified applicants received their items.
Sheikh Akeugbagold explained that the programme, which will run until Wednesday, June 4, 2025, reflects the state government’s commitment to worker welfare under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.
He added that repayment for the subsidised items would be made in three instalments starting from August 2025, and assured that the initiative would be sustained to support civil servants during major festive periods.
“This initiative is one of the relief packages of the Oyo State government to ensure that public servants enjoy their holiday during the festive period.
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“For the past five days, we have distributed rice to 2500 people who are civil servants with the Oyo State government. Today, we are on Ram and tomorrow also. They are buying it at a subsidised rate and the payment will be spread over three months, commencing from August 2025 and will be deducted from their salary”, he said
He, therefore, appealed to the beneficiaries to pay promptly to allow another set of people to benefit from the initiative
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with newsmen lauded the government’s gesture, describing it as a wise decision.
A civil servant from the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Mr Ogundele Muideen, said the gesture was a big relief for workers who may not be able to afford the high rate of rams sold by rams sellers to the public
Also, Mr Yekeen Taiwo from the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority, OYRTMA and a female civil servant from the Teaching Service Commission, TESCOM, Alhaja Balkis Omilowo, appreciated the state government for the laudable initiative, saying the program has made it seamless for civil servants to get rams for the Ileya festival at affordable rates.