Gombe Shares 25,000 Bags of Rice Donated by Dangote Foundation

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe 

As part of ongoing efforts to support the less-privileged, the Gombe State government has commenced the distribution of 25,000 bags of 10kg rice, donated by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, to vulnerable people and households across the state.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony yesterday, Governor Inuwa Yahaya, represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Alhaji Abubakar Inuwa Kari, expressed profound appreciation to the Aliko Dangote Foundation and the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for his continued generosity in assisting the needy, particularly in Gombe State.

He noted that the foundation’s intervention is in line with his administration’s commitment to supporting the poor and vulnerable, especially during the sacred month of Ramadan.

“Recall that at the beginning of Ramadan, the government inaugurated a large-scale distribution of assorted food items targeting the less privileged, aimed at cushioning the current economic hardship and easing the observance of Ramadan obligations,” the governor stated.

He further commended the timeliness of the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s donation, emphasising that the distribution would follow the existing framework used in previous exercises to ensure equitable reach.

“When the commodities were handed over to the state government, we already had an established distribution structure with standing committees that have successfully handled previous exercises,” he noted.

Yahaya directed that the rice be distributed using the same formula, which has consistently ensured efficiency and transparency in reaching the intended beneficiaries. 

He urged the committee members to ensure that this round of distribution benefits a different set of vulnerable persons from those who received aid in previous exercises.

“Let this palliative go to a different set of beneficiaries so that more people can also benefit from this gesture,” he instructed.

He further charged committee members across the LGAs and wards to uphold transparency and accountability in executing their duties, while calling on the general public to continue praying for the progress and prosperity of Gombe State and the nation.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reaffirmed that all donated food items would be distributed directly to the intended beneficiaries.

Speaking on behalf of the 11 Local Government Chairmen, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Gombe State Chapter, Barr. Sani Ahmad Haruna, commended Governor Yahaya for instituting a distribution model that has become a reference for other states.

“It is the inclusive nature of Gombe State’s distribution formula, adopted since 2019, that has made it effective, and it is now being replicated in other states,” he noted.

Haruna assured that the successes recorded in previous Ramadan distribution exercises would be replicated, guaranteeing that the items reach those in need.

In their separate remarks, representatives of various beneficiary groups, including the Secretary of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) in Gombe State, Alhaji Saleh Damburam; the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman, Rev. Joseph Shinga ; the Acting Chairman of the Association of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Abdullahi A. Bello; and other leaders, expressed appreciation to the state government and the Aliko Dangote Foundation for their continued support.

“Since 2019, every distribution exercise has involved all relevant stakeholders, ensuring that even the smallest relief items reach their intended beneficiaries,” they said.

The event featured the symbolic allocation of palliatives to six organizations, namely: JNI, CAN, FOMWAN, PWDs, CSOs, and Hisbah alongside the formal handing over to state and local government committees for onward distribution across LGAs, wards, and polling units, as fully loaded trucks departed for their destinations.