Economic Hardship: FG Releases 44,656 Bags of Palliatives to FCT Residents 

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja 

The federal government has released 44,656 bags of assorted food items to the residents of Federal Capital Territory to ameliorate the biting economic crisis and in anticipation for the 2024 Seasonal Climate Prediction and the Annual Flood Outlook that have forecasted flood situation for different parts of the country.

The food commodities were handed over Thurdday by the Director- General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, to the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud at the flagging off ceremony in Gwagwalada Area Council.

Zubaida said the palliatives were from the 42,000MT of assorted food commodities from the National Strategic Reserve in the custody of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, which President Bola Tinubu approved to be release to the FCT and 36 states of the federation.

The commodities allocated to the FCT, included  23,996 bags of 25 kg rice and an additional consignment of 9580bags consisting of 4680 bags of maize, 13,920bags of sorghum, 960bags of garri and 1100bags of millet.

Zubaida said the food items will be shared equally to all vulnerable persons the six Area Councils in the FCT to ameliorate the biting food shortages and bring succour to Nigerians in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.

She directed that based on the directives of the President, 20 per cent of the food items due for each Area Council be given to religious organisations (JNI & CAN) and three per cent to boarding schools in the Area Council.

In her remarks, Mahmoud commended the gesture of the federal government, noting that it would substantially alleviate the burden of food scarcity and high cost of food items on Nigerians, particularly the most vulnerable who were worst impacted by the situation.

She assured seamless distribution of the commodities, saying relevant Secretariat, Departments, and Agencies (SDAs) had been charged to ensure the necessary security measures to avert the ugly incidence of the past when miscreants hijacked the products. 

She also urged all residents to conduct themselves in a responsible and orderly manner and cooperate fully with the distribution teams, so that the administration could  achieve resounding success.

“We are also not oblivious of the fact that for any meaningful development to be sustained, due attention must be placed on the welfare of our citizens. 

“To achieve this, we have placed priority on re-invigorating the agricultural sector, which is crucial to achieving our collective quest for food and nutrition security,” she said.

The minister also assured that the administration had commenced the distribution of essential agricultural inputs to farmers, to ensure a successful planting season adding the administration will continue to work assiduously to create a safe, secure, and enabling environment that fosters agricultural investments, ensuring that no resident of the FCT goes hungry.

In his remarks, the Mandate Secretary Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Hon. Lawan Kolo Geidam, revealed that the secretariat has perfected plans with the area council authorities to develop a meticulous distribution plan that would ensure an efficient exercise, making sure that the food items reach the targeted groups.  

The identified groups according to him include the six area councils, Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC),  faith based organisations (JNI & CAN), and 17 graded chiefs.

Others include Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), All the widow groups in FCT, All the orphanages in FCT, groups with disabilities in FCT, leprosy colonies, Bwari rehabilitation home, Wako Orphanage and IDP camps.

He further stated that the secretariat has mobilized over 1,000 vulnerable individuals who would each receive a direct allocation of food items.