By Stanley Onyekwere
To help cushion the effect of the prevailing economic hardship, the FCT Administration has disclosed advanced plans to commence palliative distributions to vulnerable groups across the six area councils of the FCT, in the next one week.
This move, is coming on the heels of last weekend’s looting of a government owed warehouse in the Gwagwa-Tasha of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, disclosed this yesterday while addressing stakeholders, following a presidential directives to commence emergency distributions through the National Emergency Management Agency.
Mahmoud, used the occasion to give the breakdown of the items to be distributed to include 4,680 bags of 50 kg of maize, 1,100 bags of 50 kg of millets, 13,920 bags of 50 kg sorghum and 960 bags of 25 kg of garri to be distributed to the six area councils.
She however, hinted that 20% of the grains allocated to be given to faith-based organizations, while 3% to all boarding schools in area council as directed by the presidency, warning that the items must be given to the vulnerable in the society.
She also called on all stakeholders, especially chairmen of area councils, to ensure that the palliatives are distributed seamlessly in line with presidential directives.
She also directed the FCT Mandate Secretary Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat to look for a benefiting warehouse within 72 hours for the safe keep of the grains.
According to her: “Yesterday, we received this letter from the Presidency through the National Emergency Management Agency and we all know that a few days back we were at Gwagwa, where our warehouse was attacked by some youths in that area and all we have there have been carted away.
“However, God almighty has given us a solution through Mr. President. Everybody knows how His Excellency President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been going up and down to see how we can cushion the impact of the hardship in the country.
“They have been having meetings through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and finally we were able to get palliative items we can distribute for our people to tell them how Mr. President have his people at heart.
“So, it was along this week that the Honorable Minister FCT, His Excellency Barr. Nyesom Wike, was directed to hold an important meeting with stakeholders to constitute a committee that will handle the distribution in a transparent manner.
“That is why I personally called people so that they would be at this meeting because of its importance.”
On the seamless distribution of the palliatives, the minister explained that the presidency has directed the constitution of a committee that comprises chairmen of Area Councils, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), traditional rulers, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), faith based organisations and National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
