The Kaduna State Government says it has concluded arrangements to commence distribution of food items to 210,000 deserving households under the Federal Government’s palliative programme.
It will be recalled that the federal government has initiated palliative programme to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.
The state governor, Sen. Uba Sani, who stated this at a news conference on Tuesday in Kaduna, said that over one million people would benefit from the food distribution exercise.
He said that rice and other food items would be distributed to the beneficiaries, adding that the federal government had released N2 billion to the state.
Sani said the state government after a meeting with relevanat stakeholders resolved to utilise the palliative in three phases.
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According to him, the first phase will be a short term measure that encompasses food distribution to households, adding that effective measures had been employed to ensure smooth conduct of the exercise.
“The second phase is a medium term intervention for transport sector and support to small holder farmers, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs),
“While the third phase is a long term palliative devoted to the resuscitation of locomotive train from Zaria – Kaduna, Sabon Tasha – Kafanchan.
“A subsidised bus service will be introduce in Kaduna metropolis, Zaria and Kafachan to ease transportation difficulties.
“”Families headed by people with disabilities, widows and the elderly would be considered first in the food distribution exercise.
“The poor, orphanages and displaced persons will also be given special attention,” he said.
According to him, the exercise will be run through committees to be headed by the local government council’s chairmen.
The committees, he said, had been charged to workout modalities for the distribution exercise and identify beneficiaries in their respective areas.
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While reiterating commitment to effective monitoring and utilisation of the palliative, Sani urged the people of the state to cooperate with government to facilitate successful implementation of the programme.