Divert palliatives, go to jail, Niger gov warns committee

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, on Friday warned that any member of the palliative distribution committee who diverted materials meant for the residents would go to jail.

The governor said the government had already obtained a summon from the court ahead of any deviance.

Bago, who made this known at a press conference where he announced the government’s commencement of palliative distribution in the state, “Any form of diversion of palliative, we’ll use it as an example to jail people. We are going to jail people. We have already obtained a summon from the court ahead of deviance,” he said.

The governor declared a three-day holiday for the distribution which he said would cut across the wards, units, and local government areas, and directed the public and civil servants to go to their constituencies to ensure proper distribution.

The governor disclosed that the items for the distribution included N2bn already received from the Federal Government, and five trucks of rice, while 40,000 bags of maize were expected. He further announced another N2bn being expected from the Federal government.

He added, “We have waited for a long time, and we have decided to take the bull by its horn so until we receive the maize, we’ll keep that in view. But Niger State will cough out an additional N2bn to the existing N2bn that we have in anticipation of the other one coming, to distribute to every ward, every unit, and every local government in Niger State.

“I have declared Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday next week (as a holiday) for palliative distribution. Above that, on our own, we have an arrangement to provide 200 luxurious buses, we’ll provide free public transport to all public and private students across Niger State and we’ll give a discount to civil servants at a very minimal affordable rate. This will come in before December. So, 100 buses will ply Suleja and Abuja, 50 will be used in Minna and the remaining 50 will be distributed in the local governments accordingly.”

Meanwhile, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has lamented the hardship created by the removal of the fuel subsidy.

He disclosed this while confirming the receipt of N2bn and 16,800 bags of rice as part of the palliatives to help the poorest of the poor deal with the biting effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

Fubara, who also inaugurated the state’s palliatives sharing committee, explained that the N2bn came from the Federal Government while the rice was put together and shared among states by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

According to a statement signed by a media aide to the governor, Boniface Onyedi, and made available on Thursday night, Fubara said, “The country is at a cross-road because of the removal of subsidy which has brought much hardship in the lives and businesses of virtually everyone.

“We are also in receipt of N2bn, which is part of the relief measure. It is not just about sharing money, but applying it to something that will touch the lives of those who are in dire need, those going through much pressure at this particular moment.

On modalities for fair distribution of the bags of rice, the governor was quoted as saying, “The rice is not about party, it is about the state. We thought it wise and proper to bring in all the local government chairmen since you represent your respective areas.”

Gombe announces N10,000 for state, council workers

In Gombe State, the Deputy Governor, Dr Manassah Jatau, on Friday, announced the disbursement of N10,000 to state and local government workers to cushion the effect of the removal of the fuel subsidy.

Jatau explained that the N10,000 had no termination time frame, noting that it dated back to August 2023.

The state government had distributed palliatives to underprivileged households across the 2,988 polling units in the state where 10,000 households benefitted to cushion the effects of the economic hardship people are passing through.

He said, “Today, I am here to say that the administration has noted the contributions of the workers in the state as the engine room of administration and implementation of Government policies.

“We have also noted with sympathy the difficulties they are passing through as a result of the economic meltdown and therefore decided to bring interventions by way of payment of N10,000 each every month effective from August 2023.

“This shall include all workers in the state and local government payrolls. However, all local government councils are mandated to key into the GOHEALTH programme by ensuring the enrollment of their staff members to ease their health problems as a way of mitigating the hardship emanating from the current economic realities.”

Similarly, the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Friday inaugurated the distribution of the palliative aimed at cushioning the effects of the recent fuel subsidy removal.

Speaking at the event, Abiodun said 300, 000 households would benefit from the distribution of bags of rice, each weighing 10kg.

The governor explained further that the distribution would be done per polling unit across the state, to cover the entire 5,042 polling units, with the supervision of a central working committee led by the Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, earlier put in place at the state level.

He noted that the committee would also be replicated in each of the 20 local government areas of the state and would comprise religious leaders, market women, community development associations, students, and the state lawmakers representing each of the constituencies, among others.

He expressed optimism that the arrangement would ensure that in the next week, the distribution would commence in all the local government areas of the state.