GOVERNOR FINTIRI AND SUBSIDY PALLIATIVE

It appears that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri-led Adamawa State government has deployed two strategies in the implementation of the distribution of the fuel subsidy palliatives: the government strategies are both ‘systematic’ and ‘systemic’. Systematic to reach everyone in the state and strike a balance between the masses’ needs and wants. While systemic in the sense that the impact will go beyond just the immediate short-term needs but will have a long-term impact on the state’s socioeconomic settings.

The arrival in the state of the 58-seater luxurious ‘palliative buses’ was a big surprise to many people, including those in the opposition. Within less than a week of the government’s pronouncement of its intention to procure the buses, the buses have arrived in the state capital. This is commendable. And, it is also part of the ‘systemic approach’ we mentioned earlier; apart from providing cheap, affordable, and comfortable transportation to the masses, the purchase of the buses by the Fintiri government from Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (IVM) is a true reflection of the government’s desire to support the local industries, whose multiplier effect can even reach the Adamawa people. Furthermore, the Innoson buses will assist workers in their daily transport to their offices, pupils to their schools, and the movement of people from one point to another, including the ease of doing business in the state. Furthermore, the buses will greatly eliminate the hustling associated with the use of KEKE NAPE. One of the most important aspects of it is that the buses will greatly eliminate the insecurity that Shila Boys associate with the KEKE NAPEP; people will now freely and comfortably use the buses even at night without the fear of anything happening to them. In fact, urban planners have looked to public transportation to facilitate improvements in community health and well-being.

On August 23, 2023, the Adamawa State government inaugurated a 20-member Palliative Coordination and Distribution Committee, chaired by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Awwal Tukur, with the mandate to coordinate the transportation, monitor, and liaise with relevant stakeholders in the fair, just, and hitch-free distribution of food and non-food palliative items. The strategy is for the items to reach not only the ward levels but also the remote unit levels where the poorest of the poor are living. The truth is, Adamawa State is among the few states in Nigeria that have put in place short, medium, and long-term strategies in the implementation of the fuel subsidy palliatives. Strategies that will bring positive and feasible results devoid of politics or any other mundane consideration.

Many political pundits are of the view that Governor Fintiri is putting in place some political and policy strategies to see that his second term’s 100 days in office will be marked by the implementation and a showcase of people-oriented projects, policies, and programs—like the proposed new flyover at Mubi roundabout, rural roads, youth empowerment, and education and healthcare development.

Zayyad Muhammad, Abuja