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

*Donates over 700mts of grains to Ekiti 

*States urged to take urgent precautionary measures on flooding 

Olawale Ajimotokan, Folalumi Alaran in Abuja and Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

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

The food commodities were handed over yesterday 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.
At the same time, the federal government has also released over 700 metric tonnes of grains to Ekiti State, as part of concerted measures to buffer the effect of meteoric increase in the prices of food commodities on citizens.

In another development, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has alerted the state governments on the urgent need to take precautionary measures to avert the ugly flooding menace of the past years.
NEMA DG, Zubaida Umar, 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 9580 bags consisting of 4680 bags of maize, 13,920 bags of sorghum, 960 bags of garri and 1,100 bags of millet.

Zubaida said the food items would be shared equally to all vulnerable persons in 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 councils.

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 of 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.
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 reached the targeted groups.

However, in Ekiti, the grains, principally maize and garri, according to the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs.) Monisade Afuye, who received the items on behalf of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, would be distributed to vulnerable groups to give them a lifeline under the current economic downturn.
Speaking during handing over of the commodities, Afuye, revealed that the items comprised 12,000 bags of maize grains and 3,008 bags of garri.
She emphasized that the FG’s gesture was geared towards palliating the sufferings of Ekiti populace under the current economic situation.
According to a statement by her Special Assistant (Media), Victor Ogunje, Mrs. Afuye, lauded President Tinubu and Governor Oyebanji for their partnership that was yielding enormous dividends for Ekiti populace.

Flood: State Govts Urged to Take Urgent Precautionary Measures

Following the torrential downpour being experienced in some parts of the country, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has alerted the state governments on the urgent need to take precautionary measures to avert the ugly flooding menace of the past years.
Utsev gave the advice while briefing Newsmen on the update of the flood situation across the country in Abuja, yesterday.
He highlighted the measures to include, “educating citizens to imbibe attitudinal change towards warnings for flood prevention by government agencies and desist from unethical traditional culture and beliefs.

“Clearing of blocked drainage systems and canals, and Relocation of people living along the water-ways and those that are having socio-economic activities on the flood plains, by the Federal, State and Local Governments.

“Consideration for channelisation/training of major rivers in the country. States and Local Governments are encouraged to desilt river channels and canals and to construct/create buffers (or detention basins) in their respective constituencies to collect runoff waters.
“Modification of settlements to withstand floods by putting up flood barriers, and Construction of dykes, flood-walls, buffer dams, detention basins and water retaining structures.
“Effective and efficient operational procedure for dams and reservoirs and maintenance of other hydraulic and water infrastructure across the country.”