Bauchi Flagg’s off subsidy removal palliative distribution, threatens decisive action against saboteurs

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Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Bauchi state government has sternly warned that government will not hesitate to deal with anyone who may be a clog at any stage of the implementation process of the Subsidy removal palliative distribution in the state.

Governor Bala Mohammed of the state gave the warning while flagging off the distribution ceremony of 88,889 bags of 25 kilograms of rice to vulnerable members of the society at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa memorial stadium, Bauchi on Saturday.

“We will not spare anyone that becomes a clog in the wheel of progress in our efforts to bring succour to the people”, the governor said.

“It will be recalled that consequent upon the uproar that greeted the announcement by His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCON, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, of the removal of the subsidy on fuel, he promptly announced a palliative package to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal”, he added.

Governor Mohammed who stated that the President’s response was understandable given that the immediate effect of the fuel subsidy removal was the hike in the prices of commodities, the cost of transportation and other services.

He said as was expected, such price changes instantly translated into an increased cost of living with more people being thrown into the already saturated poverty bracket.

Bala Mohammed who is also a Committee member set up by the National Economic Council to draw the roadmap for the roll-out of the Federal Government’s palliatives intervention programme, said, part of the interventions included the provision of five trailer loads of rice as well as N5,000,000,000 to each State in either cash or grains.

He said that the palliative was made up partly as a grant by the Federal Government for 52% of the sum, with the remaining 48% booked as a loan payable over a period of 20 months, to support the states to provide additional palliatives.

Governor Mohammed explained that the sum of N2,000,000,000 has so far been released while arrangements are being made to access the remaining N3 billion.

He said in Bauchi State, his administration had in anticipation of the obvious effects, proactively introduced a number of measures including the provision of 30 new mass transit buses, operated at subsidized rates within intra state routes to cushion the hardship of the citizens.

The Governor who said a committee was constituted under the Deputy Governor to recommend immediate interventions to alleviate the sufferings of the people our people.

He said that the Committee recommended for the provision of relief Food Commodities to enhance food security, Payment of benefits to Civil Servants/Retirees, and provision of Mass Transportation to ease the high costs, Social Development interventions especially with focus on support to non-formal vulnerable groups and to the health sector.

Governor Mohammed said that Committee proposed intervention targeted at provision of subsidized food commodities or the utilization of part of the fund provided to procure grains including rice, maize, millet etc for distribution to targeted beneficiaries including the poor and vulnerable.

Others include, intermediate intervention towards rolling out agricultural sector development initiatives targeting youth and women into farming activities who would be encouraged to operate as registered cooperatives societies and groups so as to continue to enjoy long-term support from development agencies, among others.

He said, of the 88,889 bags of 25kg rice, State Civil Servants would get 5,000 bags while at the flagg-off ceremony 2,000 bags were given to People Living With Disability (PLWD).

According to him, traditional institutions, Religious Groups, Security & Quasi Security such Danga, Vigilante, Yan Committee, Peace Corps etc; CSOs , Media & CBOs etc)) would get 11,813 bags totalling 18,813 bags.

At the Local Government Level, the Governor said Civil Servants through Unions would take 5,000 bags whereas, the 5,423 Polling Units would cart away with 65,076 bags at 12 bags per unit which brings the sub-total for local governments allocation to 70,076 bags