From Willy Punvwet Lafia
The Governor of Nasarawa state,Engr.Abdullahi Sule,has taken over the distribution of palliatives meant to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal which came into effect on May 29,2023.
Our correspondent reports that the governor took the decision,irked by the plethora of allegations of diversion of palliative meant for the vulnerable persons by some government officials in the state.
The Reporters gathered that the distribution of the food items is accompanied with a token amount of N5,000 to the beneficiaries in three Local Government areas of the state on Tuesday.
On Monday, reports in the media showed that the Department of Security Services, DSS, arrested some government officials in the state for allegedly diverting the palliatives for enrichment.
Governor Sule added that his action was aimed at keeping close watch on both the food items and the cash donations to ensure that it got to the right beneficiaries.
Notwithstanding the development, residents of Awe, Keana and Obi Local Government Areas,who benefitted from the exercise smiled home with 50kg of Rice accompanied with N5,000 each.
Governor Sule, who advised the beneficiaries to ensure proper management of the palliative, warned against the redistribution of the commodities,noting that some people used such avenues to blackmail the state government on the quantity of the food stuff given per individual.
The governor gave directive for the immediate commencement of the payment of N10,000 monthly palliative to civil servants, for six months while pensioners will in the same vein, be paid N5,000 palliatives for the same period.
He said all these palliative were the initiative of President Bola Tinibu.
He added that it was to cushion the effects of the hardship being faced by the Nigerians consequent upon the removal of fuel subsidy.
He appealed to the people of the state to always be orderly while the process of sharing the palliative is going on.
In his remarks at the distribution of the palliative, the Emir of Awe, Alhaji Isa Abubakar,commended the Nasarawa and Federal governments for “their kind heartedness” to rescue the common man, bearing in mind the hash economic realities of the day brought about by the subsidy removal.
He appealed to the people of the area to cooperate with the state government by conducting themselves in a peaceful manner, adding that those who could not get “today might have their turn tomorrow.”
Our correspondent who was at the venue of the distribution observed that the joy of the beneficiaries knew no bound as they held their bags of the 50 kg tenaciously as others, who were yet to get, scrambled in an effort to get theirs.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
