The Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, has disclosed that the state government has received N3 billion as cash palliatives and five trucks of rice from the federal government.
Gov. Bago made disclosure on Friday during a maiden press conference at the Government House in Minna.
Bago who said the monies would be disbursed on Monday to the local governments accounts, declared the 6th to 8th of September as a public holiday for the distribution of palliatives across the state.
The governor also warned that anyone caught diverting any of the palliatives or the money meant for the palliatives would face a jail term.
While the state government is still expecting the balance of N2 billion and 40,000 bags of maize from the federal government, Bago said “the state government cannot wait for the federal government to send in the balance while the people are suffering, the state government has decided to augment the palliatives so that it would get to the grassroots.”
Truth Live News learned that all public officers, civil servants, political appointees, political parties, and organized labour would be involved in the palliatives distribution which would be at the polling units and ward level.
“The three days of public holidays are to ensure that all the political appointees and public office holders go back to their local governments and wards to oversee the distribution of the palliatives,” he explained.
According to him, “N10 million will be distributed per ward in 21 local government areas while wards in Bida, Suleja, Kontagora, and Chachanga local government areas would get N20 million each.
He said N80 million will be sent to traditional institutions so that they won’t put their hands on what is meant for the people, adding that N75 million will be provided for the IDPs.
While “N150 million will be made available to political parties so that they won’t divert the palliatives, N110 million will be for logistics and security,” he continued.
“The federal government is sending to us 40,000 bags of maize and we have 4,950 polling units, we are sharing 10,000 bags which will cost us N575 million.”
Gov. Bago further explained that the total value would be N5, 230,550,000. Saying the state would augment N230 billion to the N5 billion that would be given by the federal government.
“Everybody must go and sit down in their wards and local governments. You must not buy rice. If your people are used to eating beans or yam, buy it for them.”
“The local government and wards would decide what to buy,” he said, “we decided not to decentralize this money so that we can spread the wealth back to the people.”
The governor asked beneficiaries to report any problem or any unwarranted practice during the distribution of the palliatives which he said should be everybody’s business.