‘When will Makinde begin distribution of palliatives?’ Depressed Oyo man asks
Yinka ADETUNJI
Following the announcement of palliatives to Nigerians by the Federal Government through state governments a resident of Ogbomoso in Oyo state Ojo Oyeleke asked ogbomosoinsightonline.com Tuesday on when the “booty” will be distributed.
It is recalled that Thursday last week Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state, after the 135th National Economic Council meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja announced that the Federal Government would as a way of alleviating the plight of Nigerians as a result of hardship occasioned by removal of fuel subsidy give N5b and 5 trucks of rice and maize to each state of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). It was stated this was a stop gap measure with a promise that more definite steps would be taken to ease the burden.
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With the palliative funds and grains believably released to the states many Nigerians the vulnerable ones especially have eagerly anticipated the distribution of the relief package as reflected in the question by Ojo Oyeleke above. Some states have reportedly disbursed the palliatives while some others have constituted committees to work out modality for their distribution.
In Kwara state the committee which had been inaugurated and made up of clergies, labour leaders, Commissioner of Police, State Director of Department of State Security and so on, was charged by the state governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak to ensure the assignment is executed with high level of transparency, credibility, fear of God, non-partisanship and accountability and to see to it that large number of people benefit and widely spread.
I am not so certain Oyo state has activated action which is in the public domain as far as the Federal Government palliatives is concerned, igniting apprehension among the citizens.
“We are really suffering,” Ojo Oyeleke submitted in a depressed mood, “things are hard, it is difficult to feed. Governor Makinde should not keep the items in the warehouse for long where they could be looted. The money should not lie fallow in the bank or in any coffer, it is now the poor need those things. It is still fresh in memory how covid-19 palliatives were mismanaged by many so-called people’s representatives. He will do well to immediately begin the distribution.”
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Oyeleke added, “This is not something to distribute on the basis of being PDP or APC member. Fairness should be the guiding principle. Hunger knows no gender, it doesn’t know affiliation. It should be ensured all parts of the state are covered. We need it, they should evolve a good formula.”
Oyo state government had earlier announced its own palliative measures with a committee named. The palliative according to the state government includes agricultural inputs like fertilizers as well as release of intra and inter-city buses.
However, the effects of these have not been felt. A resident of Iwofin in Surulere local government area in Ogbomoso, Akanmu Ladele, told ogbomosoinsightonline.com last weekend, “They said they brought fertilizers but I am not sure if more than two persons in the whole of our ward in Iwofin have enjoyed the privilege.”
Ladele opined the subsidy should not have been removed, positing, “at least we all enjoyed it but these now, only a few would corner the so-called subsidy money.”
In the meantime, Oyo state people are eagerly awaiting how all these pan out, “at least in the last three months state governments have received allocations that doubled what they used to collect, but this has not reflected in our communities either in terms of projects execution, salary increase for workers, transportation relief measures, increased agricultural production efforts and so on, it is hoped the so-called gains from subsidy removal will not ultimately end up in the pockets of another class of thieves to be created,” another commentator who pleaded anonymity observed.
