By Justina Asishana, Minna
The Chairman of Bosso local government area in Niger state, Architect Abubakar Gomna has said that federal, State and local government pallatives cannot get to everyone.
Apparently responding to the outcry across the nation over inadequate pallatives to the people, Gomna said the people would continuously be deceiving themselves if they think government can feed all of them.
The Council Chairman stated this in Minna while playing host to executives and members of the Niger state Chapter of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) who were in the local government Secretariat to distribute pallatives to the vulnerables.
He stated that even in developed countries, the pallatives are given to those who earn lower pay and are in need of it.
“We do not expect that government can feed everybody as far as Nigeria context is concerned. Even in developer countries where we hear and see that they feed people, it is only those that earn low pay that are given these pallatives. I have confirmed it especially from some of my friends in South Africa.
“The pallatives can never get to everybody. But in a suituation whereby people sits down and ask government to do what you reasonably know that government cannot do. At the end of the day, we end up deceiving ourselves.”
Gomna said that there is need to for corporate bodies, professional accounts and individuals to join hands and help government by contributing their quota towards providing pallatives to the people.
He applauded the state Chapter of the Nigeria Society of Engineers for being the first professional body to bring pallatives to the local government area.
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“We are overwhelmed with your gesture and appreciate it. It is in record that NSE is the first professional body to provide pallatives for our people. It shows that it is not all about professionalism but that you are equally conscious of what is happening in the society.
“This is exemplary, the first of a kind in the local government. We urge other professional bodies to key in, corporate bodies should also key in. This is what patriotism is all about.”
In her address, the Chairperson of the Niger state chapter of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Engineer Elizabeth Jumoke Eterigho said that the Association is reaching out to 150 beneficiaries who have been identified by their members to be the vulnerables in the local government area.
She explained that the selection was done in an organized way to ensure that those who really need it get it, “Engineers are organized people. What we did is that we know that we cannot meet the need of everyone do we selected those who are really vulnerable. And they were able to identify them. ”
Eterigho urged government to employ those who can carry out the distribution of the pallative faithfully to enable those who need the pallatives get it.
“Government is trying, they have provided a lot of pallatives but those who really need it are not the ones who get it. The government should employ those who can do it faithfully and in a transparent way. My advice to givernnent is that they should make use of NSE to do proper planning and distribution to the people.”
Most of the beneficiaries who recieved the pallatives said that this is the first pallative they are recieving since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
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