More states across the country have begun the distribution of the palliatives sent to them by the Federal Government to reduce the hardship occasioned by the petrol subsidy removal.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the minister, Nyesom Wike, said the territory’s administration (FCTA) was considering transportation and food supplies support with the N5 billion palliative received from the Federal Government.
Wike spoke in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with contractors handling different projects in the FCT.
The minister said the FCT was not included in the N5 billion palliative until he wrote a memorandum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the development.
He said the FCTA had received N2 billion from the Federal Government for the nation’s capital’s palliatives.
“We are yet to decide on what to do with the N2 billion palliative. We have not chosen any area yet. Are we going to concentrate on food?
“But we are thinking that the issue of transportation is very important, particularly the urban mass transit. People would like to have easy transportation to go to where they want to go.
“If you give them rice and they eat the rice today, what about transportation tomorrow?”
In Adamawa State, the government has unveiled 10 units of 58-seater shuttle buses that cost N1.06 billion to implement the transport component of its fuel subsidy removal palliative programme.
At a comprehensive unveiling of the palliative programme at the Government House in Yola, the state capital, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Awwal Tukur, who doubles as chairman of the palliative committee, said the intervention programme would provide succour in transport, subsidised food items and non-food items to residents of the 266 wards in the state.
In Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Governor Umo Eno said his administration was creating jobs in all the 31 local government areas of the state.
The governor, who announced the palliatives, said the jobs would be created through the “One Project Per Local Government Initiative”.
He said this was also aimed at reinvigorating the economy and increasing cash flow within the rural communities.
The governor confirmed the receipt of N2 billion and 3,000 bags of rice the Federal Government promised the state.
Eno announced this when he received the Palliatives Committee Report he set up.
“What we have received so far from the Federal Government is N2 billion and 3,000 (units) 50kg bags of rice.
“We believe that the other ones will come. If the Federal Government is donating N5 billion, the committee has recommended another N5 billion, so what we have here is N10 billion as the estimates for the palliatives,” he said.
Also, Osun and Ekiti state governments have reiterated their resolve to ensure that the palliatives they received from the Federal Government reach the intended beneficiaries.
Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that the two states had taken delivery of truckloads of rice and maize as well as the N5 billion announced as palliatives to state by the Federal Government.
While the Ondo State government was not forthcoming on information on the receipt of the Federal Government palliatives, the Osun and Ekiti state governments confirmed receiving the first tranche, which it has started distributing to beneficiaries.
In Osun State, the government said it had received N2 billion out of the N5 billion Federal Government’s palliatives to the state.
Information and Public Enlightenment Commissioner Kolapo Alimi said announced this in Osogbo, the state capital.
He said the template and modalities of payment would soon be made public by the state’s Palliative Committee at their next meeting.
Kolapo said 5,700 bags of 50kg of rice would be distributed to the residents.
In Ekiti State, Agriculture and Food Security Commissioner Ebenezer Boluwade, who doubles as Chairman of the Palliative Distribution Committee, said the distribution of the palliatives started last Wednesday.
He said the Federal Government delivered 3,000 bags of grains to the state, of which 18 bags were discovered to be spoilt, thereby leaving only 2,982 for distribution to the public.
Boluwade said: “Each of the 177 wards of the state got 10 bags of rice each.”
Also, Ekiti State Information Commissioner Taiwo Olatubosun said the state had set up a palliative distribution committee whose members include officials of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Muslim Society, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), among others.
In Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum announced the release of the palliative at the end of the 135th National Economic Council meeting, presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja.
Zulum said the N5 billion was to enable state governments procure 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize and fertilisers, to cushion the effect of food shortage across the country.
In Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Sule said his administration had not started the distribution of the palliatives.
Sule spoke yesterday at the Government House in Lafia while inaugurating the commissioner representing Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, 20 Special Advisers, Head of Service (HoS), members of Local Government Service Commission, members of Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission, Chairman and members of Nasarawa State Teachers’ Service Commission, Chairman and members of CPWB, as well as the Governing Council of the College of Agriculture Science and Technology.
He said the state was distributing five trucks containing 3,000 bags of 50kg bags of rice, given by the Federal Government.
He said his administration saw the need to re-bag the rice into 7.5kg bags, totalling about 17,000 bags.
In Ogun State, the government has set up a 29-member Central Working Committee (CWC), headed by the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Engr. (Mrs.) Noimot Salako-Oyedele.
Governor Dapo Abiodun constituted the committee to distribute the palliatives the state received from the Federal Government.
He said the committee is to ensure that the palliatives reach every stratum of the society, in line with the promise he made to the residents.
Also, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde will today kick off the distribution of palliatives to the poorest of the poor across the state as part of the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) initiative of his administration to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal in the country.
The flag-off will hold simultaneously in seven different parts and zones of the state.
While Makinde will kick off the distribution in Oyo town, his deputy, Bayo Lawal, will do the same in Saki.
The decision forms part of resolutions reached at the weekly State Executive Council (Exco) meeting held at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, said N8,633,996,464 would be spent by the state and the local governments on palliatives to the residents.
