Bauchi Flags Off Distribution of Palliatives to Vulnerable Persons

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government has flagged off the distribution of food and non-food items as palliatives to vulnerable persons in the state to alleviate the negative impact of the removal of fuel subsidy in the country.

Major components of the exercise include distribution of about 89,000 bags of rice to 20 local governments areas, payment of N10,000 each to the most vulnerable citizens, provision of mass transportation buses and payment of students’ scholarship.

It also includes payment of outstanding gratuities and leave grant to retired and active civil servants as well as payment of special allowances to volunteer health workers, casual workers and environmental sanitation agents

Flagging off the distribution of the palliatives in Bauchi, Governor Bala Mohammed, said as a result of the removal of subsidy on fuel by the federal government, President Bola Tinubu introduced palliative packages in the country that would cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

While appreciating Tinubu for responding to the feelings of people, the governor stressed that the gesture would complement his administration’s economic empowerment initiatives which according to him lifted a number of families out of poverty.

He said the removal of subsidy on fuel led to hike in prices of commodities, cost of transportation and other services, adding that the development translated into an increase in the cost of living with more people pushed into the poverty level.

The governor said part of the palliative intervention by the federal government included the distribution of five trailer loads of rice and N5 billion to each state in cash and in kind, adding that the palliative was made up of a grant of 52 per cent, with the remaining 48 per cent as a loan payable over a period of 20 months to support states to provide additional palliatives.

Mohammed, said the sum of N2 billion had been released from the federal government while arrangements were being made to access the remaining money in addition to more grains from the CBN and the federal government’s committee on palliation which would be distributed.

According to him, “In Bauchi State, in anticipation of the obvious effects of subsidy removal on fuel, we introduced a number of measures including the provision of 30 new mass transit buses, operated at subsidised rate within intra-state routes, aimed at alleviating the sufferings of the people.

“We also constituted a committee headed by my able Deputy to handle the task of recommending immediate interventions to alleviate the sufferings of our people.

“The committee has wide spread membership comprised of government officials from the relevant MDAs, traditional institutions, religious leaders, organised labour, CSOs, Security agencies, student unions amongst others. Extensive consultations were made by the sub-committees appointed to determine workable solutions for implementation of palliative measures with the invitations of submissions from relevant stakeholders to guide the sub-committees in the conduct of their assignment.

“Major considerations were made along the following lines, provision of relief food commodities to enhance food security, payment of benefits to civil servants and retirees, provision of mass transportation to ease high cost, social development intervention especially with special focus on support to non-formal vulnerable groups and health sector.”

Earlier in her speech, the State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajara Yakubu Wanka, said even before the federal government intervention programme, the Bauchi state government had been consistent in assisting people of the state through various humanitarian interventions such as the Kaura Economic empowerment program targeted at alleviating the plights of the vulnerable population in the state.