From Geoffrey Anyanwu and Ndidiamaka Oshim
Archbishop of Enugu Province and Bishop of Enugu Anglican Diocese, Emmanuel Chukwuma, yesterday, took a swipe at the Federal Government’s fuel subsidy removal palliative programme, describing it as disgraceful and a failure.
Chukwuma, who was irked by the quality and quantity of rice being distributed in Enugu State, lamented what he called insincerity of the government in introducing the palliative, describing it as a fraud.
The cleric who received the Independent Layout Ward II representatives who went to the Enugu North Local Government Area to collect the ward’s palliatives, expressed shock to see that what was given to them and indeed all the wards was only rice. Of the 980 people that filled the form and submitted, only 193 bags of 20kg rice were given to the ward.
He, therefore, expressed disappointment wondering how a bag of 20kg rice would cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal for five families.
Chukwuma said: “Having seen some of the bags of rice called palliative for the people of Enugu State, we feel dejected and very much disappointed that even the 200 bags for each ward, the local government chairman withdrew five bags from it.
“Two, how do you expect this type of palliative to cushion the effect of the subsidy for the people that you have raised their hope for? Five persons per 20kg bag of rice. So, we are feeling that the Federal Government palliative for Nigerians is an insult, disgraceful and a failure, is fraud and we completely reject it.”
He, therefore, called on the federal and state governments to review the palliative package in a way it would be meaningful and beneficial to Nigerians.
He said, “For me, Chukwuma, I will not accept this type of rice as palliative, it is an insult to the people. And so, I am calling on the Federal Government and state government to look into it properly, that this is not a palliative that can cushion anything at all. It is a way of insulting the people, creating more hunger and we feel if the Federal Government is sincere, which I feel they are not sincere about the palliative. This is the same thing the labour union is talking about, is what we are seeing now, insincerity of the government.”
Earlier, one of those who went to the local government headquarters to bring the rice said: “We were called yesterday, by all the wards in Enugu North, that we should come to Enugu North secretariat for the palliative. We went there and they said they will give each ward 200 bags of this rice which they said is 20kg. As they were sharing, after a while they said they should remove five bags from each ward by council chairman’s directive.
“In this Independent Layout Ward, that is Ward II, in the form filled we are about 980 but what we collected is 193 bags of this 20kg rice. So, when you now look at it, if you divide 193 bags by the 980, it will be five persons for one bag. And that is all they gave us, just this rice as palliative.”