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- Sets up special committee to ensure effective distribution of federal palliatives
From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON says Gombe State has received 2 billion out of the N5 billion relief funds that were allocated by the Federal Government (FG) to states for the purchase of food items for distribution to vulnerable members of the public to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
The governor stated that the state government awaits the receipt of the N3 billion balance as well as the N1 billion worth of maize from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) national strategic reserve.
The governor stated this while speaking at the round-off of the first phase of the statewide distribution palliatives exercise. He commended the Federal Government for providing the relief funds out of which 48% is a loan to each state of the federation that will be paid back over a 20-month period starting from November this year. He explained that the states are to pay back the loan by N120,000,000.00 monthly.
He assured that his administration will ensure effective and judicious use of the funds, as he revealed that a special committee to ensure the effective distribution of the FG’s palliatives. He hinted that the special committee will be chaired by the Deputy Governor, Manassah Daniel Jatau.
Governor Yahaya also assured of his administration’s commitment to addressing the plights of the people.
“This exercise will continue, we will not relent in our efforts until our people are taken out of this difficult situation,” he stressed.
He said the palliative distribution exercise was the 8th in the series of interventions carried out by his administration, adding that he will not relent in attending to the plight of his people.
“I am not happy distributing palliatives to the people, I would rather be happy if every household in Gombe State would be able to meet their basic needs. We intend to make sure that the palliatives we have provided reach the most deserving people at the grassroots,” the governor said.
“We have provided an effective and efficient framework to achieve this by taking the exercise to the polling unit level. In every polling unit, 10 beneficiaries have been selected making up the 30 thousand beneficiaries for this phase. Our ultimate target is to help not fewer than four hundred and twenty thousand (420,000) people in this phase,” he added.
He decried the lingering food crisis in the country, describing the ugly trend as a complex problem that calls for comprehensive solutions from all stakeholders, cautioning that the distribution of palliatives from the government will only provide temporary relief.
“Despite a series of palliatives distribution from the government, the problem of rising cost of food commodities persists, because that is not the way to go. Palliatives will not provide a permanent solution to the problem. It is therefore pertinent for all stakeholders to find a permanent solution to the problem.
He enjoined the beneficiaries to use the items judiciously, cautioning them about selling the items as this would defeat the intent of the exercise.
“Use the fertilizers and insecticides on your farms to cultivate what can sustain your families and avoid selling them out. Look for potential places suitable for dry-season farming and venture into irrigation agriculture. This is the way to go as we cannot continue to rely on handouts from the government,” he said.
He used the occasion to call on farmers in the state to avoid selling their farm produce during the harvest period as the practice afflicts more hardships to the farmers and their families in the near future.
